The Hiding
by Winkadink
Summary: Set seven years after the reckoning. Chloe lives with Tori and Kit after mysteriously loosing track of Derek, Simon, and Aunt Lauren one night. What has happened to everybody and will Derek, Simon, and Aunt Lauren ever be found?
1. Chapter 1

_**AN: **_**hi guys! I'm starting a new story! I know I haven't finished my other story and I am not abandoning it, so to everyone who reads that don't worry! Okay so this is basically set after the reckoning. This first chapter is pretty much taken up by a flashback, and the next chapter will start immediately after it! **

**Disclaimer: ****I do not own darkest powers or anything else in this except the idea, that was ALL MINE!**

**Chloe pov**

I walked through the door into the dimly lit room. I looked around at the familiar looking office. A deep red colored couch in the middle of the room with an office chair next to it. A light colored wooden desk in the back corner with a white Apple laptop sitting on top. Papers were thrown all around the desk in messy piles. _Exactly the way I left it. _I sat in the chair that was pulled up under the desk and stared at the little plaque that read: Miss Soulia, child Psychiatrist. I felt the corner of my lips turn up at the thought of being Miss Soulia. I had changed my name after life went back to semi-normal, but the thought of growing up and actually living the life of Demi Soulia made me happy. Having a life without being a necromancer and being able to work as a director, instead of a Psychiatrist who is undercover looking for other supernaturals diagnosed as bipolar or schizophrenic. That would be a good life. Of course then I would have never met Tori or Kit who I am with now. Who I've been with for seven years now.

*****************FLASH BACK*******************

"G-guys?" I asked worriedly looking around for Simon and Derek who never seamed to stray more than two feet from me. When no answer came I got increasingly nervous. "G-g-guys" I called out again. But still no answer. I looked around trying to dislodge a stubborn memory from my head. I pulled a little harder trying to shake it lose but ended up looking like an idiot, beating my head against my palm. _It doesn't matter if you look like an idiot if no one is here to see you._

I put my hands on the cold metallic floor and tried to push myself up. Struggling, I hastily got up. Moving wobbly, with my hands out in front of me to catch myself if I suddenly fell; I reached out to the nearest wall. It was cold and metallic like the ground. _Where am I?_ I opened my eyes as wide as I could and moved my head to look behind me. As far as I could see I was in a dark, empty metal room with not even as much as a flashlight to guide me out. The only glimpse of light I could find was from a horizontal line that floated just barely off the floor.

I went with my gut and moved toward my one source of light. After about thirty seconds of crawling I bumped into something hard. I turned my face to look up and saw another wall. Thinking I had crawled away from the light not towards it I looked down. No, the light was still there. In fact, it was right on top of my hand making it look extremely pale. Confused, I looked up again and came to the realization that I must have run into a door. I scurried up onto my knees and tried to find a knob. A shiver went down my back as my hands traced the length of the door. I felt something round curve under my fingers and I turned it as hard as I could. I felt a sharp pain travel through my body; Exploring every corner and making it, it's own. I fell to the floor screaming out in pain. It was every where overriding my brain. I could feel the cells in my head evaporating and my bones getting weaker. I needed to get out, before the pain became too great for me to even think.

I knew that if I touched the door again I would be sent into another round of unnerving pain; but if I had something to block the path of the shock or… spell I could trick it. Well, that is if it is a spell. If it's not then…

I didn't give myself the time to think about what would happen knowing it would only scare me enough to back out. The pain was still inside my body and it was increasing by the minute. I had to work quickly before it sent me into a coma or I blacked out. Either of which would get me no where.

I set my plan into motion as soon as that through made its way through my head. I flung my shirt over my head and held it around my hands trying to keep it as thick as possible around my palms. The empty air stung as it hit my bare back and torso. I thanked god I had put a bra on because escaping from where ever I was without any thing to cover myself would have been humiliating.

Once I made sure that the shirt was wrapped tightly around my hand I reached forward and twisted the knob again. My first observation was that I felt no greater pain then what I already did. I breathed a sigh of relief. My second observation was that my shirt was burning and if I didn't open the door quick enough it would burn straight through to my hand. I turned the knob as far as it would go and then slammed my body against the door. When it flew open and light flooded in I was surprised to say the least. I thought I was going to have to go at it for at _least _two more tries.

I waited as my eyes adjusted to the newly found light, and as I was waiting I remembered I hadn't taken my hand of the knob and I thrust my hand forward so fast I smacked myself in the chest. What was left of my shirt came tumbling down to the floor and I followed after it.

My eyes now, accustomed to the light, noticed exactly how little of my shirt had survived the spell. It had been burnt all the way through in the front and the back had holes that ranged from tiny to about the size of a marble. I internally groaned at the thought of not having a shirt for the rest of my mission. I had known this was more likely to happen but that didn't stop me from whining to myself any way. I had no shirt, because that stupid spell bur- wait. It was a spell like I had suspected. Meaning that I was either in the hands of a branch of the Edison group or the cabal. The two places I wanted to be the least. So instead of doing something productive with myself I sat. And thought. And cried… a lot.

After minutes of sitting in my own self-pity party, I got up, wiped the tears from my eyes, and was shocked by what I saw. I was standing in a room that was filled with dead bodies. More than I had ever seen in my entire life. _I'm going to be sick._ The thought barley had time to register in my mind before I was bending over a, incredibly fake looking, plant, puking. I felt a pang go through my chest as I wondered if this was how Derek felt when he was changing. I prayed it wasn't because right now I was in anguish. I felt the sting in my throat as anything I had ever eaten came back up, I felt the electrical shock still moving threw my body like a snake waiting to strike, and most of all I felt the sorrow and fear and anger from all the lost souls. The souls that belong to all the dead bodies a mere ten feet from me. All of their emotions were adding up, building on me, trying to knock me over.

When there was nothing left in my body to bring back up, I turned around and faced the souls head on. The wave of emotions that flew through me in that second were layered in an organized system of chaos. First came the anger that whipped through my body hot and quick. Then came the sadness that felt like a giant wave of water drenching my whole body. Last came the fear, it made me feel like a rubber band that was being stretched out to far. Leaving me short of breath and feeling faint. I knew it would only be seconds before the lost souls over took me, but I couldn't back down. I have to be strong and if not for me, than for my friends. I still don't know where they are. For all I know they could be lost in this huddle of souls. Scarred, alone, and most of all, dead. That's what scarred me the most, if I gave up now I would never know. Alive or dead? It all boiled down that one question. The question that makes your forehead hot and palms sweaty, and I knew the only way I was going to find the answer was to stand up to the poor, lost souls. To demand answers and them send them to a better after life. One that didn't consist of wondering around earth in a dream like daze until a necromancer, like myself, decided to take pity on them. But one that fit their highest expectations, one where they got the peaceful rest they deserved.

"Okay! I know you all want something, but I want something too. So once I get my answers I'll do whatever you want." I said. I saw all the souls stop then plunge forward towards me all except a select few that stayed standing in the back of the room with their heads down. The souls that were still coming forward towards me were shouting different things. _Stupid necro... Please, help... Oh no, their coming... Hurry, hurry send me away... Why should I help you, necro? _So many voices, all wanting different things. To keep myself in control I took a few deep breaths and made a mental shield around my brain to keep the unwanted voices out. With my shield in place I walked to where the souls that hadn't rushed on me were at.

They still had their heads bent, looking at the soft carpeted floor. I wanted to ask why they hadn't come forward and why they wouldn't look at me but they said nothing, did nothing. So I did the same. I couldn't bring myself to be the one to interrupt the silence. _What are you waiting for necromancer? A sign? Those people were always freaks, I guess things really don't change… even after death._ I turned around, flagging down the voice that had spoken to me. The voice that had broken the shield. A shield I had counted on to help keep my sanity or what's left of it that is. Searching the room with my eyes I couldn't find any person, living or dead, besides the bodies of course; all the dead bodies were still there lying helplessly on the floor. The emptiness of the room was odd because just moments ago tons of souls had been formulating around me, trying to break my shield, the way this voice had. _You can't see me because I have chosen to be left…unanimous. When I want you to see me then you will, but until that moment lets keep things, hmm how should I put it? Simple. _The voice reminded me of Derek, how he always had a plan and it usually involved doing things his way. The way I might never get to do again if I didn't find everyone and get out of wherever I am. _So you do not know where you are? Oh, How fun! It's like a mystery; where are you, and will you and your little friends ever get out alive! Well let me help you with that. The answers to your problems are closer than you think; down the left and out the door will give you what you seek. Two were left and something was lost; but with time and trust something may be bought. Your world has and will change dramatically; so never lose faith so quick fully._

My eyes landed on a door that said exit and I raced towards it, forgetting about the souls that didn't talk and the dead bodies beneath my feet. All I could think about was finding my friends and getting the hell out of here. So like the unidentified voice had told me to, I slammed into the door with the painted on exit sign and hurdled out the door. I came face to face with a choice of three hallways. One ahead of me, on to the left, and one to the right. Following the directions of the voice I went left.

Just seconds after turning left I flew into a body. I prayed it was of the living sort! Looking up terrified of who it could be I was shocked to see kit. Of all people I find kit! Not Simon or Tori, the ones I figured I would run into, or Derek who I hoped I'd run into, but kit. He looked tired and worn out; he had deep lines under his eyes and bruises turning the color of blue on his arms. After seconds of standing their just staring at him he pulled me into a hug. It was nice, like a father hugging a daughter. Well, it was nice until I remember my little uh situation. Then it became awkward, but hugging someone without a shirt on can do that. I pulled back and tried to cover my chest the best I could. Not that there was much to see, but I just felt more comfortable this way.

"Chloe, thank God we found you! We were just about to leave. We looked in every room and found nothing. Where have you been?" kit asked.

"I-I was I-in a metal r-r-room. I'm n-not sure where, somewhere b-back t-th-there" I said pointing down the hall I had just come from. "I-it was l-locked with a-a spell. A-and when I came o-out there where all these, t-these… bodies. K-kit th-they were all d-d-dead." I said. It took me a while to get all the words out because of my stupid stuttering, but in the end I got my whole message out.

"I know, I-" he started to say but was cut short by a low whistle sounding through the halls. He responded by giving his own whistle that sounded like the wind blowing before a big storm. I watched as a girl slightly shorter than kit walked in. she had a swing to her hips and a confidence that showed this person could be no other than Victoria Enright. When she saw me standing beside Kit she froze, and than bounded forward towards me, engulfing me in a huge hug. I stood in a trance just thinking about how similarly the souls in the back room had acted. Noticing my lack of enthusiasm she took a step back and probably came to the realization I didn't have a shirt on and figured that why I hadn't acted as she did.

"Uh, Chloe. Why don't you have a shirt on?" she asked curiously

"Cause It kind of um, got burned" I responded self-consciously

"How the hell did that happen? Wait, you weren't wearing that shirt I bought for you were you because I swear if you ruined the one shirt that-"

"Tori there is no need to yell. I'm sure you can always get Chloe another shirt just as good as the one before. So why don't you give Chloe your jacket to wear until we can find her something else." Kit said more as a demand than a question.

"I would… but I left my jacket in _the room _after it got uh, _dirty. _I had no idea what Tori meant but right now all I wanted to do was get out of here. Away from all those dead bodies and weird voices.

Kit sighed than said, "okay then I guess we'll just have to pick one up after we leave this place. Will you be okay until then Chloe?" he asked. I nodded my head not wanting to sound needy. I can tough if out for a few hours or however long it'll take to get away from here and to a store. "Can we please just leave? I really don't want to be here anymore." I said. I watched both of their heads nod and then looked around for another exit. I found one dead ahead with the same painted on words. Apparently kit saw where I was looking at and told me to follow him. When we got to the door he punched in a code and when I heard the click of the doors unlocking I breathed a sigh of relief and happiness.

When the doors finally opened I beamed at the warm June night. Stars were shining bright and the moon was high in the sky. _Almost a full moon_. Looking across the sky I thought of Derek. Even though I knew that the moon has nothing to do with his changes I still couldn't help but think of him as a wolf. Hollywood has produced too many werewolf movies where the werewolf changes on a full moon to _not _think of that. Thinking of Derek I remembered that he obviously wasn't here with us. Neither was Simon or Aunt Lauren come to think of it. "Kit? Where's Derek, and Simon, and my aunt Lauren" I asked worriedly. I saw him exchange a glance with Tori and then walk over to the side of the building. I knew he had heard me because besides the nervous look he gave Tori he had become tense. Something I noticed Derek did when he was thinking something over. _Derek must have gotten it from him._

After seeing I wasn't going to get an answer I followed him. I looked around as I walked and saw that the building we had been in was a fairly small building. It was about the size of a Wal-Mart and from seeing the size of the Edison group building I considered this small. I tried to find the name of the building by looking for a sign, but wasn't surprised to find none. I knew they wouldn't write out the name of their company on the side of the building or on a big sign, especially if they go around kidnapping supernaturals and then killing them. But I was still disappointed, hadn't the voice that had incredibly broken my shield told me the answers to my problems were out here? That's what I thought she said. But then again she had given me the answer in somewhat of a riddle. Which I think is cheating. Why couldn't it just tell me what I wanted to know then let me be on my way? It just had to go all fortune-teller on me. Really, what was all that stuff at the end supposed to mean any way?

I looked up just in time to see Kit and Tori standing still staring at the brick wall of the building. I scooted close to Tori, trying to see what they were looking at. From what I could see all that was there was a picture of a heart with four arrows' sticking out the sides with a big S in the middle. Apparently this carving meant something bad because I heard Tori mutter a low curse and Kit suck in a breath. After another round of silence I said, "Is someone going to tell me what that is?"

"It's the symbol of the main headquarters of the cabal." Tori said. I had no idea where she learned that but it didn't seem so important at the moment.

"Then shouldn't we be leaving?" I asked.

"Yes, we should. The rest of the cabal will be alerted soon. They won't like what they find and they'll come after us." Said Kit, "Lets go, we have a long walk ahead of us. And a lot of explaining to do" I nodded even though no one was looking at me. The voice had been right after all. Both of my questions had been answered.

"Kit?" I asked after we had been walking along the edge of a forest for a while.

"Yes Chloe?"

"Please tell me… where are Derek, Simon, and Aunt Lauren." I said in a strong, but still pleading, voice.

"Their gone" he said. He didn't tell me if that mean they were alive or if they were dead. They were just… gone. And I never asked about it again.

*********************** END FLASH BACK***********************

**_AN:_ hi again! I hope you liked the chapter! I already have the next chapter written out I just have to edit! If you have any questions about this story tell me in a review, and I'll answer it in your shout out! Yes, it's true; I do give anyone who reviews a shout out! So if that doesn't make you want to review than I don't know what will…. Okay in a review you can give me Ideas, predictions, or really anything! I know I started this chapter out not telling you much, but the next chapter is set in more of the actual story. Alrightie! Please review! Oh, and check out my other story the decisions, it's another Darkest Powers fanfic! Luv ya! *winkadink***


	2. Chapter 2

**_A/N: _Hey here's the second chapter! I know it took me forever to update but, I can't help it sorry! So is anyone else as excited about The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan as me? I can't wait to read it! Alright now to shout outs!**

**Suzi1811: thanks for the review! So many questions! Sadly though I won't be able to answer them because that would give the whole thing away! You silly goose! Hehe anyway I think you'll be able to draw some of your own conclusions from this, and make your own answers.**

**Moon-called-princess: thankies for the review! it means a lot, especially when you only get three reviews! **

**PreppyEmoGirl: hi girlie! I don't know why people aren't reviewing either! Thanks I am quit fond of my name too! But yours is awesome because it's all two different kinds of people! *whooo* Yeah, well in this chapter I think Chloe is kind of ooc because she's older. But she has to act this way because she's in her job. And trust me any length of review is amazing to me, so no need to make them super looong! Some people just can't match up to my awesomeness! Just kidding! I would love a long review because your awesomeness is greater than mine ;)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own darkest powers.**

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Chloe POV

I was jerked from my thoughts by my secretary's voice, "Miss Soulia, your four o'clock is here." Her voice came out happy and sharp sounding. I understood the hidden meaning underneath her words. They said, _screw you Demi! _I knew this because she has been my best friend for years so I could tell when she was in one of her moods. And usually when in those moods she likes to cuss people out. The reason for her mood was actually because of me this time. It started because I refused to let her set me up on a blind date, but I let Tori. And she knew this because Tori told her.

Tori, Jen (A/N: her friend, the secretary.), and I had had all been inseparable since we meet four years ago at a community college here in town. We did everything together and Jen and I even ended up working together, so when I said no to her and not Tori she was pissed. And this is how she treats me when she's mad.

"Okay send them in" I said nicely. I knew are fight had gone on for long enough and I was going to try to fix it later. I heard a door opening and I saw I little girl walk in. I got up and walked over to her. She closed the door then turned to face me. She stood tall and proud not letting a single emotion pass over her face. She looked about seven years old and had dark brown hair and eyes that were a cross between green and gray. She was adorable, like one of those kids you would see in a commercial, but I could tell she was all business right now.

"Hi, my names Miss Soulia" I said and stretched out a hand. When she didn't move to shake it I brang it back. I motioned for her to come sit down on the couch and was relieved to see that she listened. Once she had sat down I went to my desk-got my clipboard and pen-and went to sit in the chair across from her.

"Well, let's get started! What's your name?" I asked needing to fill out a form on her.

"Cailey" I heard her mutter. _Well, at least she's talking to you. That's better than some of your patients._

"Cailey, that's a pretty name. My na- I mean my friends name, is Chloe. She's a lot like you. Very strong and independent." I said Beating myself up about almost blowing my cover. She just nodded her head, but I could tell she was listening now. 'Complimenting the kids does wonders' I recalled one of my professors in college say."Alright Cailey, so do you know why you're here?" I could tell this question got her attention. She looked up and I saw her working her jaw.

"My dad's making me come." She said angrily.

"Why?"

"Because he thinks coming here will help me control my anger issues. But I don't think it will help."

"And why don't you think it will help?" I asked curiously. "I don't think you can help me because I don't do it on purpose. When I get mad I just- just…" she stopped talking and I could tell that this was hard for her to talk about.

"We don't have to talk about it right now." I said knowing how she felt. It was like when I raised the dead, I couldn't help it, and it wasn't my fault. "How about we talk about something else?"

"Okay." She said a little happier.

"How about we talk about your family?" I suggested.

"Alright! Well I live with my dad, grandma, and sometimes my uncle in a BIG house! I have my own room and everything!" she said excited.

"Wow, that's so cool! Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"No, daddy said I was the only one in his life besides Uncle Sam and Grandma Laurie. Except I don't believe him because he has a picture of a pretty girl in his dresser." She said smugly. I gave her a small smile knowing the picture was probably of her mother. And since she didn't say anything about her mother living with them I assume they either separated or she died. _Which could be a cause for her behavior issues._ I really should have her father come in and talk with me. If I'm wrong and her problems are not because of her mother we could be looking at _other _problems; of the supernatural kind that is. And that could cause problems for everyone. I'd have to tell her family then they would have to be handed over to Kit who would figure out what they know and most likely have to send them into hiding.

I sighed at that thought. I had been doing the same thing for years. Telling parents about their supernatural kids and then sending them away with fake names and a place to hide out. I usually would never see them again after that, except for a few rare cases that come back to me and say they've been caught a need our help. So far only one family that we've helped has been _terminated_. The day I found out I was devastated. The family had been one of my favorites; their son had been a telekinetic half demon, like Liz. And they had been killed by the hands of the Edison Group in Nevada, where we had sent them. When I had gotten home from work that day I had broken down thinking I had failed and that I was a disappointment but later that day I had been visited by their ghosts and they comforted me and told me it wasn't my fault. Once I had calmed down they paid me their thanks and I helped them on their way to the after life. Ever since that day I had become extra careful with where we sent the people.

"Cailey, Do you know what happened to your mother?" I asked carefully not wanting to upset her again. I watched her think this over and saw as her forehead started to crease into lines that stretched across her head. Her nose crinkled and she said, "Daddy said that my birth mother doesn't matter anymore. And I don't remember her so she must not be that important." I sat their confused and before I had the chance to say something Cailey started talking again, "Miss Soulia, what's your first name?" I was taken aback by her random question. I had never had a child ask me what my name was.

"My names Demi, Demi Soulia." I said a little warily. I' m still not completely used to having people call me Demi. Demi was the name I choose because it didn't closely resemble Chloe but it was still close enough that I could find a little bit of truth in it. That and… well the other reasons I picked this name hardly matters any more.

"You don't look like a Demi to me. You look like more like a Cailey, like me! Oh! I know how about we both have our names Cailey! Then me can make our own club and play super secret games! I can come here after school everyday before daddy gets home!" I laughed along with Cailey because she was just too cute. Her dad was a lucky man to have a daughter this creative and happy. She was the kind of daughter I would want if I ever had kids. But to have kids I would have to have a boyfriend or husband, which at the moment was not the case. Dating just wasn't my thing. I mean I really tried, it just never worked out. I think its because dating a normal person is too hard, with all the secrets and lies. It just wouldn't work out.

"Well, I don't know," I told Cailey. "Wont whoever watches you after school be worried when you don't come home?"

"No, it's just me and Grandma Laurie, and I can just tell her I'm at a friend's house." She said confidently.

"But wouldn't you rather be with your friends, that way you wouldn't have to lie to your grandma."

She looked at me with open eyes and said, "I don't have any friends." That was what ended up breaking me. I felt so bad for this little girl; she was probably made fun of because she was short for her age like I was-hell, like I am! And most likely because she had "anger issues". _And _I reasoned with myself _your going to have to spend more time with her if you want to know if or what supernatural she is. _

"How about this Cailey, You can come over here after school _if _you let me write a letter to your dad telling him where you'll be." I bargained.

"Deal!" she said in an excited voice.

"And, if I find out you didn't give the letter to your dad than I will have to end our little meetings and have a talk with you _and_ your dad in here." I said trying to make sure she didn't pull a fast one on me. I would not be tricked by a little kid. Especially when I could tell her father and grandma would be very worried about her if she didn't show up after school.

"Okay." She said pulling out the A in okay.

"Good, now you can either go read some books that I have over there," I pointed to the bookshelf. "Or you can play with those Barbie's and Lego's I have there" I said now pointing to a bucket filled with the toys the kids usually flipped out over. I was surprised when I saw her nod and then head for the bookshelf. The only people who ever read the books on there were the older kids that came in, and that was only because they didn't want to be caught playing with _baby _toys. I was even more surprised when I saw her pick up a book that should have been way outside of her comprehension level. The book she was reading was _The Outsiders_, something that I had put out for kids that were in the seventh grade and were looking for an exciting fast paced book. Still, I usually didn't let them read it until I knew that they were emotionally stable and that it wouldn't upset them in any way. But most of the kids I suggested it too didn't want to read it any way, so it wasn't a problem most of the time. So now that a girl as young as Cailey was reading it I had to ask a few questions.

"Cailey, we have easier books to read."

"I know, I saw them but I read this last year with my Uncle Sam and so I thought I might read it again. That's okay right?"

"Uh, yes that's fine, but does your dad know you've read that book?" I asked doubting he did. "I'm not sure." She said in a way that told me that she was lying. I knew that her dad didn't know she had read the book. She must have one stupid uncle if he was letting her read that. I went on letting her read the book though, because you can't take back what's already been done.

I went back to my desk while Cailey read, and pulled out my computer. I pulled up a blank Microsoft word page and began to type:

_Dear Mr._-

That's when I realized I didn't even know Cailey's last name! "Cailey, what's your last name?" she looked up from her book long enough to say, "Sauller" and then looked back down. OK here we go again.

_Dear Mr. Sauller,_

_My name is Demi__ Soulia, your daughter, Cailey, psychiatrist. Cailey has voiced to me that she would like to have additional meetings with myself after school. I have told her that it would be fine with me, but is ultimately up to you. She has told me that her grandmother watches her after school until you arrive home from work, so I would take full responsibility of her until the time she is ready to return home. I was thinking that she could stay for an hour after school lets out and then be picked up, if that is good for you. I feel this extra meeting is a good idea and that it would help immensely. I could even pick Cailey up from school if that is the only possible way for her to come. If you have any problems feel free to email me at: D..com or give me a call at 888-8888._

_Thank you for your time and support__. _

_Yours truly,_ _ Demi Soulia_

_P.S. did you know your daughter has read _The Outsiders_? I think you might want to have a talk with her Uncle about that one. A little ghostie told me that you might be concerned. _

When I finished I pressed save and then sent it to Jen's computer to have it printed off and put in an envelope. Giving Jen a heads up I picked up my phone and pressed one. I waited while it connected me to her. When she picked up she said, "Miss Soulia's office how may I help you?"

"Hey Jen, I'm sending a letter over that I need you to print off and put in an envelope. It's to go to Cailey Sauller she should be out in about five minutes. And Jen, we need to talk. Meet me at the corner café at six okay?"

"I'll make sure to get it to her." She said then hung up. Nevertheless I knew she would be there at six. Sitting at the table in the corner with a cup of hot chocolate and a muffin. I hung up my phone and turned to Cailey who was still sitting down reading her book. I thought back to the letter and wondered if adding that part about ghosts might have been going too far. To any normal person it would just sound like casual human banter. So that's what I told myself. No one would suspect anything because anyone might say that. _No need to be worried_. Unless Tori or Kit found out somehow, they would go off on me about how I risked everything just by adding a little humor to my life. _No, no, I'm being paranoid no ones going to find out, and Cailey's dad isn't going to suspect a thing_.

"Okay Cailey, its time for you to go. Is someone coming to pick you up?" I asked.

"Yeah, my dads coming he said he'd call when he got-" she was cut off by her phone ringing. _Hello? Its dad! Answer the phone! Daddy's calling! You better hurry up and pick the phone up! Come on, you know you wanna! I'll buy you a pony if you answer the phone, you want a pony right? That's it you've go-_

That's as far as I got to hear because she picked up the phone. I listened to her one sided conversation, "yeah I'm ready." … "No it wasn't that bad."… "I know you win"… "He is? Okay, I'll be down in a minute!" She said then hung up the cellphone.

"I take it he's here?" I asked.

"Yeah and Uncle Sam's with him!" she said excitedly. "He's the one that put that song on my phone! Did you like it?" I laughed and said yes. After that she placed her book back on the bookshelf and started for the door. "Don't forget to pick up that letter for your dad at my secretary's desk." I reminded her.

"Okay Demi I won't forget, I promise! Ill see you tomorrow!" and with that she walked out the door. I listened as it closed with a loud thud. I walked over to the window that was so clear that everything outside looked brighter than real life. I waited a few minutes before seeing a little girl stumble outside and look around for her car. I assumed this was Cailey because when she saw a silver Lexus LFA sitting along the road she ran towards it with her hand held high waving a white envelope.

I watched as a man about 5, 6" stepped out of the passengers' side of the car and gave her a huge hug. I couldn't see his face from here but I could tell he had blond hair so he must have been her uncle. Who I assumed was her uncle, stepped back and opened the car door for her but not before she shoved the white envelope into his hands. He looked at it curiously and then motioned for her to get in the car. Once she was in he closed her door and then went back to the front of the car and got in. I watched as the car speed away, and then I closed the blinds and turned back to my desk to pick up my laptop, car keys, and jacket. I put on my jacket tucked my computer under my arm and then slung the keys into my pocket. As I left the room I turned out the lights, and closed the door to my office. Thinking back to the day so long ago when the strange voice predicted my life would be changed dramatically. All I could say to that is _you got that right._

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**_A/N: _Okay I just read through this a noticed that it is most defiantly NOT my best work! To me it sounds rushed and doesn't have enough detail. Now let me say sorry for adding that little author note in. I hate it when people do that but then I went and did it myself! So sorry about that, I just thought it needed more explaining. Also i tried to write Chloe's email address but fan fiction wouldn't let me so... sorry about that! Pleaaaase review! Tell me if you liked Cailey. I thought she was pretty cute and had fun writing her so… yeah. Really anything in a review is good with me! Even if it's just one word or a smilie face ;) please people! **


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: **_**hey guys! Sorry for the long wait, but if you read my other story than you know how long it takes me to update! Anyway, thank you so much for all the reviews! I was so excited to see the amount of reviews I got for last chapter! Okay now on to shout outs….**

**AsHlle'MaRiEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee: ****thanks for the review! 1) hehe you caught me, you're feeling about Cailey is right! and thank you, I worked sooo hard twisting the names! Just kidding. 2) thank you for loving the story! 3) Yeah, Cailey's a huge part of this story! 4) Okay so I was reading your review and I was thinking **_**damnit! She's figured my whole story out! **_**I swear it was like reading over my own thoughts for this story! **

**PreppyEmoGirl: Hey girlie! It's so weird writing a shout out to you on this! I'm so used to you reviewing The Decisions it's confusing! And what really confusses me is that I have 6 chapters up in my other story, but I get more reviews for this. Hmmm. Lol anyway, thanks for the review! A) Thank god you're not going English teacher on me; I get enough of that 1****st**** period! B) Soulia sounds close to Souza? Hmmm I never thought of that… or have I? C) Jen can be pissy but that's what's so great about her! D) I could never work in Chloe's job either, but not because I can't work with kids. I just wouldn't be able to sit and listen to other people's problems all day; I would be like, "you know what, I have my own problems so just FUCK A DUCK!" E) haha I'll so join the secret club with you! Jk the clubs super exclusive and only Chloe and Cailey can join. I know, sucks for us **

**Tumblechick13: ****thanks for the review and sorry for the long wait!**

**aStrormatMidnight: ****thank you for your honesty, I tried to do better with this chapter but I still think it sounds rushed…. I'll give you a penny for your thoughts! (Not really but still…) thanks for reviewing!**

**Moon-called-princess: ****thanks for reviewing! And as long as you keep sending smilies my way, I'm a happy camper! ;)**

**Suzi1811: ****1) thanks for reviewing! 2) I'm glad you love Cailey and I figured you would pick up some answers! 3) Your idea about how Cailey was born helped me so much! Before I had no idea how she had been born, but know I've got it all worked out… so thanks! 4) yeah I guess you know who here dad is… 5) haha I love how you just assume -Uncle same for example- is Simon and are absolute right! 5) Yeah, I would have thought that about Lauren too, but… (I just about told you what was going to happen and that would have spoiled the story, you're lucky I caught myself!) **

**Cherry on top: ****thanks for reviewing and thinking Cailey is sweet! **

**Crystal: ****thanks for reviewing! And your guesses are on the right track!**

_**Disclaimer:**_** I would say I owned Darkest Powers, but that would be a lie, and if I lie Santa Clause will give me coal for Christmas! **

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I got into my dark purple Honda Civic and pushed my keys into the ignition. While I waited for the car to warm up I pulled down the mirror from overhead and looked at myself. My hair was splayed across my shoulders, curled. It's now a mixture of different blonde colors from the over use of hair dye. My face was mostly wrinkle free except for the creases at the top of my head that come with age. The foundation and eye shadow I had put on this morning gave my skin a healthy and refreshing glow. My eyes were still the same blue as they had been my whole entire life. And I still had the cute and innocent face that made guys stair at me from across the room.**

Not much had changed about my looks in the past few years. If I took off all my makeup and left my hair in its natural stage, I would look like the fifteen year old girl I was when I first entered my new life. Thankfully I have grown a few inches since then so I wouldn't look completely like a fifteen year old girl, more like a seventeen or eighteen year old girl. Not that that was much better, but I have never looked my actual age and I've come to except that. _At least I don't look older than I actually am. _

I shoved the mirror back into its place and went to turn on the radio. I skimmed the radio stations looking for a good one. I don't really have a preference when it comes to music; I mostly listen to whatever's on. I leave the radio on 100.9 Radio Now and turn to put my seat belt on. Once my seat belt clicks into place I turn up the radio a little louder to drown out the silence. The song _she will be loved _by Maroon 5 was playing. After escaping from the Edison Group and being split apart from half of my family I have stopped listening to all slow, and or sweet songs, so I was tempted to change the station. But instead I let myself remember another time when I had heard this song.

I had just turned eight and I had just had all my friends over for a big party. My mom, Aunt Lauren and I were picking up the house while my dad was making us all hot chocolate. I jumped around the room picking up streamers and throwing them into the garbage bags that had been laid across the room. I watched as mom went over to our radio that we had in the corner and turned it on. She passed a few stations that came out as fuzz and then stopped on one that was playing a fast song that made you want to get up and dance. My mom turned to face me with a big smile on her face and said, "C'mon Chloe, dance with me!" I didn't object, and in a matter of seconds we were hoping around on the couch and twirling in each other's arms. Aunt Lauren joined in too. Soon we all had our hands connected jumping around singing the song at the top of our lungs. When the song was over and the DJ came on mom and Aunt Lauren tickled me until I fell to the ground in laughter. I squirmed around trying to get out of their grasp, but failed miserably. After a few more minutes of being tickled mom and Aunt Lauren stopped, tired, and sat down on the couch. I warmed up to mom's side and laid my head on her arm. She leaned down and kissed my forehead and said that she loved me. I looked over to Aunt Lauren who was staring out the window with a sad look in her eyes. I was about to ask her what was wrong when another song came on the radio. It wasn't a face paced dancing song; it was a soft, slow song. Mom picked me up off the couch and took my hand. She moved the center of the room and we danced together. One of her hands held my back and the other held my hand. I leaned against her and we shifted through the room, being lulled by the music. We stayed like that for half the song until Aunt Lauren taped on mom's shoulder and asked if she could have a dance. Mom stepped back and let Aunt Lauren take her place. I smiled up at Aunt Lauren and she smiled back down at me.

"You know what Chloe," she asked. " You're getting to be such a big girl. I remember when you were just a little bump in your mommy's belly," She said

"Really," I asked

"Yep, and I remember the first time I saw you. You were so tiny. You had little hands that were balled into fists and your toes were all curled up. And you want to know what else?"

"What?"

"You were a baldy baby! Not one hair on your head."

"O-Oh," I said looking embarrassed.

My Aunt laughed, "But you were the cutest baby I had ever seen."

I smiled up at her and said, "Thanks Aunt Lauren. I love you."

After that my mom came back over and took me in her arms again. We floated round the room in silence listening to the song that was playing_._

_I don't mind spending everyday  
Out on your corner in the pouring rain  
Look for the girl with the broken smile  
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile  
And she will be loved  
She will be loved_

_Tap on my window knock on my door  
I want to make you feel beautiful._

On the last note of the song, mom leaned down and whispered in my ear," Happy birthday baby."

Now, fourteen years later, I'm sitting in my car with stupid tears in my eyes, a dead mother, a dead or lost aunt, and a father that still has no idea what happened to me. The closets people in my life are my two best friends Tori and Jen, My old best friend's dad, and a little girl I met today in therapy. _My life is absolutely pathetic. _

I wipe the tears from my eyes and press down on the gas pedal speeding away from my work building. _Stop thinking about that stuff, you know what it does to you. Concentrate on your driving. _I found the familiar route to the Café that Jen and I go to daily. I was completely motivated to end our fight. It had been going on long enough and I miss having one off my best friends to talk to. I watched all the different sores and shops pass me as I got farther into town. I spied the café with its cozy looking scenery and modern art. I pulled into an open spot right in front of the entrance. Getting out of the car I stepped into a puddle and got my heels wet along with the bottom of my pants. _Shit._

I leaned back in the car to get my purse and then carefully avoided all puddles as I stepped inside the café. I looked around the small room for a red-headed girl with bright green eyes. As my eyes swept over all the tables I found her. She was sitting in the back at a table for two. She had her eyes fixated on a cup in her hand. I walked over to her bracing myself for my oncoming conversation. I pulled out a chair and heard it screech loudly across the floor; she still didn't look up.

"H-hey Jen," I said softly. She was one of the few people that was used to my stutter. Not that I stutter much anymore, but I do sometimes. Like when I get nervous or shy, and lately when I get excited my stutter cranks up about two notches.

After a few more seconds of waiting for a response I say, "Jen, I know you're mad at me, but I miss you. Will you please forgive me?"

She finally looks up at me. I see her usually bright green eyes glower in hatred. "Do you not trust me Demi," she asked.

It took me a second to answer. Hearing her use my other name threw me off. "No, No Jen that's not it! I completely trust you. It's just…" I let my sentence hang not sure of where I was going.

"No, Demi tell me. Why would you let Heather take you out on a blind date and not me?"

Once again I was confused by Tori's fake name and it took me a second to respond. "Well, there's a very good answer to that. Umm, you see Tor-Heather," I said quickly correcting myself, "wanted to go shopping but not alone so she asked me to come," I explained "And while we were out walking around Tori ran into one of her old friends from college. They got to talking and then Heather introduced me. So after a while we decided to go get some food and catch up." I said. "While in the middle of eating Heather said that she wasn't feeling very good and excused herself from the table to go home. I asked if she wanted me to come with her and she insisted on me staying, so I stayed. We talked a bit and ate then he took me home." I lied.

Well not all of it was a lie. All we did was talk, eat, and then go home but most of it was a lie. We had really been meeting up with a person who works with the Edison Group, but is… how should I put it… _on our side. _We sat down and talked, he updated us on a few issues, and then Tori had said she had had enough and went home to lie down. I stayed back while he finished up and that's when Jen saw me from outside the restaurants window. After I saw her running away with a hurt look on her face, I told the guy that we would have to schedule another meeting some other time and that he should get a hold of Kit for more information. Then I picked up my coat laid some money down for the check and left.

I looked at Jen for any kind of response. Her face was filled with indecision. I felt bad because I couldn't tell her the truth. It's just that if I did she would probably run away screaming. Actually, I've had it happen before. I shuddered at the memory of having to chase down a lady and her kid who didn't like it when I told her, her son was a sorcerer and I was a necromancer.

"I… need some time to think. I'm gonna go to the restroom and then I'll be right back," she said bringing me out of my memories. She grabbed her purse before stalking off towards the bathrooms. I sat back in my chair. _The hard parts over. _I had gotten her to believe my story which was the most important thing and the hardest. From here on out it should be easy riding.

I let my eyes close for the first time today. I listened to all the sounds around me waiting for Jen to come back. I was surprised when I heard a man's voice say, "Hey pretty lady, how you doing?" I hoped that if I just pretended not to hear him that he might go away. Sadly, that was not the case.

"Hey, you, with the curly hair." I turned around to look for the voice. I saw a boy that looked to be about seventeen. He had straight brown hair and brown eyes. His nose looked to be a little crooked but besides that he was cute… for a kid. "You mean me," I asked

"Yeah you, you look like a hottie that knows a few things. Mind if I ask you a few questions?"

I bit my lip unsure, "I guess."

"Okay," he started, "so I met this girl-and let me tell you, she is _fine-_ but the problem is that I kind of have this other girlfriend and I don't know how to tell her I want to break up."

"Well, are you sure you want to break up with your first girlfriend," I asked

"Yeah, there'd be too many… complications if we stayed together."

"Then I think you should just tell her, in person. Don't have someone else do it for you. She deserves respect even when you're breaking up with her."

"But-"he started to say but Jen interrupted him.

"Uh, Demi, who are you talking to," she asked curiously

"Oh, just some boy," I said to Jen. "I'm sorry I didn't catch your name," I said to the boy. He looked me up and down and then said, "Mason"

"I was just helping Mason, he was having some girlfriend troubles," I finished to Jen. Jen looked at me like I was crazy then she slowly said, "Demi, There's no one there."

I looked back at Mason… why can't- _Oh shit! _H-he's a ghost. I had a conversation with a ghost in a public place with my best friend. It reminded me of the time when I was fifteen and had sat and talked to a ghost for like ten minutes while Derek was in line at a cafe to get food. Everybody had laughed at me and called me a freak.

"I-I-I…" I didn't know what to say, my normal human friend had watched me talk to a ghost. How was I going to explain this to her?

"Demi you tell me what the hell is going on right now," she shouted.

"o-okay, s-sit down," I said trying to buy time. What was I going to say? Should I tell her the truth? Should I lie? Should I say,"Gotcha!" and hope she just laughs it off?

She sat down and gave me a stern look before saying, "talk."

"Alright so I'm going to tell you the truth." _really? No…yes… I don't know._

"It's about time."

"Yeah, so the truth is… I can see ghosts." She looked at me with a dumbfounded look.

"You think you can see ghosts," she asked.

"No," I corrected. "I _can _see ghosts"

"Sure you can," she replied. "And I can fly"

"I'm serious Jen. I'm a necromancer, I've been my whole life. I can see ghosts, talk to them, and sometimes help them." I left out the part about being able to raise the dead because that even freaked out some older adult necromancers.

"You're kidding right, please tell me your kidding," She begged

"I'm sorry Jen, but I'm not kidding," I said gently.

"So what does this mean?"

"Hunh," I asked

"I mean, are you going to hurt me now, or kidnap me and keep me away from the public so I won't be able to tell anyone?"

I laughed at her idiocy, "No, Jen you just can't tell anyone," I said. I saw her scoot towards the edge of her seat away from me. "And you can't treat me any different because I'm the same Demi that I was yesterday," I added

She stopped moving in her seat, "Alright," she said.

"Good," I replied. "Are we friends again?" I asked hopefully.

She gave me a nervous chuckle and said, "Yeah, friends." She got up from her seat and gave me a hug. We stood there for a few seconds just hugging each other, both glad our feud had ended. When she finally let go I said, "I have to go. I have some paper work to fill out."

"Okay Demi, I love you girl. Thanks for being honest with me. It's going to take some time to get used to but… I'll get there."

"Thanks Jen, see you tomorrow."

I walked out of the café with a happy grin on my face. I gracefully stepped around all the puddles and into my car. I knew I would have to tell Tori about Jen and me's conversation soon, but at the moment I was too happy knowing that Jen didn't completely flip when I told her. She's still my friend and-for the most part- isn't afraid of me.

I hadn't felt this happy since… well since I defeated the Edison Group and knew that all my friends were safe. I turned on the car and blasted the heat. The radio was on the same station playing some new song that would change any second now. I let this feeling of pure happiness settle in me and I settled in for the drive back home.

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I pulled into the driveway of a two story house in the middle of a regular neighborhood. Tori and I shared this house while kit lived a few houses down. I parked the car and grabbed my coat and laptop from the passenger's side of the car. Hoping out of the car, I ran to the porch and shoved the door open. I walked in to find Tori in the kitchen making herself dinner. I walked over to a chair and dumped all my stuff onto it before going into the kitchen to find my own dinner. I stepped over to the pantry muttering a hi to Tori as I did so. I went to my side of the pantry and looked for something light I could take upstairs to my room and eat.

I got the upstairs bedroom and Tori got the basement because Tori knew why I hated basement. _And having to sleep down there would result in dead things crawling their way into the house nightly._

I picked up some bread and peanut butter and stepped over to the counter. I got a butter knife from the drawer and a plate from the cabinet to put the bread on. Once I had the bread out and the peanut butter open I took the knife and dipped it into the creamy peanut butter. I spread an even amount over the whole thing and then went to peel a banana to put on top.

After having made the sandwich I left Tori in the kitchen to finish cooking by herself. As I walked past the chair I had dumped my stuff on I picked up my laptop. In the back of my head I made a mental note to buy a nicer chair, that one was a lime green color and it had been here since we moved in.

I walked up the stairs and to my bedroom. I creaked open the door and was relieved to find my room the way I left it. One time I had come home from work and found my room in complete disarray, I had later found out that Tori did it because she thought my room needed some _spicing up._ I walked over to my bed and sat down on the big comforter. I gazed at my room in a loving style. After Tori and I found this house I realized I could have the kind of room I dreamed of. The walls were light blue and a big TV was placed on my dresser in front of my bed. Next to it are shelves that hold all of my favorite movies. Then I have all of my books hidden underneath my bed. The lights hang from the ceiling in a chandelier, and candles light up the rest of the room.

I take a bight of my peanut butter banana sandwich and open my computer. I pull up the internet to check my email. Going through my routine I get to the little box that tells you to enter your password and I type in: _DemiakaChloe._ It works because the only people who know both of my names are Tori and Kit, Everyone else knows me as either Chloe or Demi.

My email page pops up and a little voice from inside the computer says, "You've got mail." I'm not surprised by this, I usually get at least three emails that are 'junk' and sometimes a message from Kit or one the people from work. I scroll through my different messages; I have one from eclipse media saying they can help keep my house clean by sending a maid over. _Delete. _Another talks about my weekly love horoscope and since I didn't believe in any of that superstitious star lining crap that one got deleted too. I kept scrolling down skipping over all the unimportant emails when I found one that caught my eye. It was from a Mr. Sauller. _Why does that name sound so familiar? _I caught my breath when I remembered why, it was Cailey's dad. I hadn't expected to hear back from him so soon. I clicked it open and read through the contents:

_Demi Soulia,_

_I agree that adding time on to Cailey's weekly meetings would be good for her. I am worried that if she can not learn to keep her anger in check she might end up hurting someone. Unfortunately, it is just not possible for me to take Cailey to your office that many times a week. I work unusual hours and I have to be able to be called in at a moment's notice. I appreciate your offer to pick Cailey up from school so she can have more time with you but I could never ask that of you. Thank you for the offer but I am going to have to politely decline. _

_-Lucas Sauller_

_P.S. You will have to tell the ghost thanks. Her uncle is… different. He thinks from a different perspective he does not always make the best decisions he's more of a run head first into a problem kind of guy. _

The email had left me disappointed. I had been hoping that I would get some extra time with Cailey. She had really intrigued me and I had to know if she was a supernatural or not. _Of course I hoped she wasn't, I would never hope for something like that._ But I can't just sit around and wait for the Edison Group or the Cabal to come and chase her out of town. I needed to find out if she's a supernatural. And if she is I need to find out what kind of supernatural. _I'm going to have to change her dad's mind._

I pushed the reply button and quickly typed out a reply.

_Dear Lucas Sauller,_

_I understand that you don't feel right letting Cailey come to my office after school, but I must ask of you again. I would gladly pick her up and I could even drop her off someplace after, so if you have a change of heart please contact me. _

_Yours truly, Demi_

After I finished typing it out I pushed the send button at the top of the page, and listened as a little phwssh sound played. Once I saw a sign pop up that told me my message had been sent. I pushed my computer aside and stretched out across my bed. I lifted my hands up and reached toward the ceiling hearing my arms pop. I rolled my feet and curled up in a comfortable position. I know I had paper work to do but that could be done later right? _Yeah, I'll do it later._

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**_Ping! _My eyes slowly opened and I looked around confused by what was making noise. I looked down at myself and saw that I was still in my cloths and I was laying on top of my covers not in them. I got up and went to my dresser and pulled out a yellow shirt and a pair of baggy pajama pants. I stumbled back over to my bed still half asleep. I climbed in the covers and was about to fall back asleep when I felt something cold touching my back. I clumsily turned around to see what it was, hoping it was just a pencil or something I had left in my bed. I slightly opened my eyes and was relieved to see that it was just my computer. I let out a sigh and turned back around. Once I had settled back into my sleeping position I connected the dots. The noise that woke me up had been the computer. I Jumped up on my bed and sat on my knees. Leaning across my bed, I picked up my laptop. It was open to my email page already so I just scrolled down looking for my new email. _Aha! I got you. _I clicked open the email and impatiently waited for it to load. After what seemed like an eternity it popped up.

_Demi, _

_You win, I give in. Cailey goes to West Syracuse Elementary. Her school lets out at 3:30 and she is always on time so don't worry about having to wait for her. If you could drop her off at her grandma's house that would be great. She lives at 4288 Lakeview drive, Syracuse New York. Thanks for all your help I- we really appreciate it._

_Lucas_

_P.S. Cailey says hi. _

I just smiled at the screen after I finished reading the email. He had said yes and everything was set! I settled back down into my bed and let my soft pillow and the hum of my laptop lull me to sleep. The last thing I remembered before succumbing to the darkness was thinking _it can only get worse from here. _Which of course sent me into a whole other round of panic.

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**I hope you liked this chapter! Please review, even if all you say is good or bad! One word is fine, anything… so if you even open this page and are like ehhh, please review and say so! I'll take anything! And no matter what you'll get a shout out! **

**Love ya guys, *Winkadink***


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: **_**Hey! I'm back, and with a faster update! You guys wrote such nice reviews that I just had to write another chapter of this story before my other one. Speaking of reviews… I just wanted to say that I love you guys so much! (ugh, not **_**that **_**way) You know what I mean. Every review means so much to me. Even if you want to tell me my story sucks! So about this chapter, I think it's pretty good. So tell me what you think in a review! Now on to shout outs!**

**tumblechick13: ****thanks for the review! And as far as Derek coming in…I have no Idea what you mean (shhh don't tell anyone about Derek being in this!)**

**Lilly87: ****thanks for the review! And I really hope that this stories good!**

**NShadows: ****Your review has been greatly thanked! P.s. thanks for enjoying! **

**ChLeReK4ever: ****Your review was two thumbs up (hehe aka thanks!) I love people loving my story so thanks!**

**AsHlIe'MaRiEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee: ****hey, thanks for the review! I found a way to get the correct number of E's in your name; all you have to do is paste your name from your review! I can't believe I didn't think of that before (before you had me counting out the E's!) 1) I love adding all this irony in the story, trust me there will be more! 2) Thank you for complimenting the amazing-ness of my story- make sense? 3) Jen, Jen, she's a mystery to all of us, don't you think? 4) Hope this is a fast enough update… *bites nails nervously* **

**Jaimee: ****thanks for the review! 1) Derek will show up… in time. I don't want to ruin the surprise. 2) This is a Chloe/Derek story so if that helps… but once again don't want to give it away. 3) I have figured out a story for Cailey's whole birth thing… so keep reading and you'll find out- sooner or later.**

**moon-called-princess: ****Thankies for the review! Guess what? You wrote more than a smilie face… I feel so blessed! Hehe I love your girly shriek- it sounds just like mine! WHOOO GO DEREK! Hahaha!**

**Bookninja15: ****yeah, thanks for the review :D hehe my story appreciates being called awesome! I just wanted to thank you… a lot! Being compared to the boy with emerald eyes is just, wow! Thankieeees so much!**

**Whoever reviewed anonymously: ****thanks for the review! And here's the next chapter! **

**Whooo that was a lot of saying **_**thank you for the review, **_**I need to find more ways to say that, hmmmm…**

_**Disclaimer**__**: **_**Sorry, but I don't own the darkest powers series…**

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Waking up was like trying to find a needle in a haystack, long and hard. I felt sluggish and just _gross. _Most of it was due to the fact that I hadn't taken any of my makeup off or washed my hair, which I was regretting more by the second. Puberty may have been over but that didn't mean that I had to shower less to keep my hair from being oily, or wash my face less to keep from getting zits.

Crawling out of bed I stepped on a wet towel that I had thrown on the floor the other morning in a fit to get to work on time. The towel twisted around my leg and when I tried to move my other foot it caught on the towel and I went tumbling to the floor. _Humph. Do I always have to be such a klutz? _Ripping the towel from my legs I proceeded on getting up. About half way there I became tired and rested my head on my bed. Closing my eyes, I let myself drift out of consciousness for just a few seconds….

When I woke up for the second time I was lying on the floor with my head tucked on a shoe. I looked around confused wondering how I had gotten down…_oh shit, I feel asleep. _Not the first time I had done this. Waking up at five in the morning everyday took its toll on you after a while. I looked at the clock; the screen was flashing the numbers three, four, and five. _Okay so if the clock has a three a four and a five in it, it must be… 5:34! Oh crap, I have to get going. I'm going to be late!_ Feeling the rush of adrenaline through my body, I popped up and sprinted out of my room to a closet in the hallway. I threw open the door and picked up the first towel I could see. Completely forgetting to pick up a washcloth I ran to the bathroom and turned the shower on. I made sure it was on hot before stepping back to remove my cloths. I watched as my cloths tumbled down onto the floor and I kicked them to the corner of the room. I thrust my hand past the shower curtain and felt the water, testing it. When I was content with the temperature I stepped into the warm tub.

I let myself relax while the hot water dropped down my back. I played with my hair trying to get it to hang on my back in a straight manor. After a second more of stalling I opened my eyes to look around for a bottle of shampoo. I saw it lying sideways on the floor and I reached down to grab it. My hand brushes the bottle and-

"Chloe, what the hell are you doing up so early? Its three in the god damned morning," Tori shouted loudly from outside the bathroom door. I stood up straight in the shower. _No, it couldn't be. The clock, it said… oh shit. It said 3:45 not 5:43. _ I stood still for what felt like minutes and then leaned forward slightly to rest my forehead on the side of the shower. It felt cool against my hot skin and I was once again drenched in exhaust. I still had at least an hour before I had to get up. I groaned to myself, forgetting about Tori-who was still outside the door.

"Chloe, are you okay in there," she asked. I didn't know what to say. if she wanted the truth it would be something like: "What do you think Tori, I'm in the shower at three in the morning," and if she wanted a lie it would be like: "Yeah Tori I'm fine, I just wanted to get a head start on the day" I couldn't choose which one I would rather say so I settled for something in between, "I'll be fine, just go back to bed."

Thankfully she left only muttering curses loud enough for me to hear over the roar of the shower. I decided that I might as well finish my shower since I started it. So, for the next five minutes I half-heartedly scrubbed my hair down, shaved my legs, and just as my eyes were starting to droop I picked up a-used- washcloth and patted down my body making it as clean as it was going to get. I closed my eyes fully and tightly when I started to wash my face and I let my self pretend that I was in my bed dreaming soundlessly. I thrust my head under the hot water without opening my eyes, feeling the soap rinse away from my skin. I turned the shower off and felt a rush of cold air greet me when I opened the shower curtains. I quickly moved to get my towel from the counter where I had flung it in my moment of panic.

I dried off my body leaving my hair to drip water down my bare back. I moved my hair to the right side of my body and took the towel and rung my hair dry. Once I was satisfied with the dryness of my hair I wrapped the wet towel around my body. I peeked outside the door to make sure no one was standing in the hallway and then sprinted to my room. I felt stupid having to do this in my own house, but here you never know who's going to be around the corner.

I quietly closed the door behind me as I maneuvered my way to my dresser. I pulled open the drawer and searched for something to wear. I didn't want to look to serious but I had to keep a professional-and adult-look. I scanned over all my pants and couldn't find a middle between lazy-every day pants and serious-work pants. I closed that drawer and opened the one blow it where I kept all my skirts. I fumbled around in there for a few minutes before realizing I wasn't going to find anything in there either. Tired of not being able to find anything I slammed the drawer shut. I stumbled over to my closet and moved all the hangers until I found what I had been looking for. It was a plan black dress that was straight all the way through and had a pretty lace design on the back._ If I curled my hair and put on some panty hose with heels I think I could pull it off._

I yanked the dress of the hanger and laid it down on my bed. _My bed._ I felt the soft comforter lying over the big bed. I stroked it lovingly dreaming about sleeping. I looked at the clock again and saw that it read 4:16. I knew that if I lay down for even just a second I would fall into a deep sleep and not wake up until half the day was over. I sighed openly at that thought and went back to getting dressed. I opened my underwear drawer and pulled out a pair of my underwear, a matching set of panties and bras I had found at Wal-Mart on sale. I slide on my bra and panties then searched in the drawer again for hose. I pulled out a tan pair that would blend in with my skin. I struggled to get them on, hopping on one foot and leaning against the wall. After finally getting them on I pulled my dress up and zipped the back as far as it would go. I looked around the room for my pair of plain black heels but couldn't find them. _Tori. _I had let Tori borrow them last week, and even after reminding her constantly to put them back in my room she had forgot.

I walked out of my room shoeless with my laptop in my hands. I crept down the stairs already regretting what I was going to have to do. I turned on the light in the kitchen hallway and walked into the dark kitchen. I felt along the wall for the light and flipped the switch on. Light flooded the room and I started to turn around when I let out a screech. There sitting in the dark was Tori. She sat tiredly staring out the window. I walked over to her and put my hand on her shoulder and said, "Tori, what are you doing?" she sat silently for a few seconds before saying, "Your damn shower woke me up."

I looked at her questionably, _why hadn't she just gone to sleep?_ As if reading my mind she said, "I tried to go back to sleep but my… thoughts kept me up."

I didn't want to ask any further questions because they way she was talking held so much….emotion and sadness. I don't think I would be able to stand it, let alone help. Over the past years we had all had to overcome problems and struggles with ourselves. We all knew that each of us had spent days crying over something that we had lost. It was different for each of us, but trying to talk about it never helped. It would either end in a fight or with Tori and Kit giving each other wary looks than excusing themselves. The next day we would pretend it never happened and go along with our lives, but we would never forget. It would just build up until our next argument, and then be safely put back into place until history repeated itself.

Leaning next to Tori with my hand still on her shoulder I asked her what she was having for breakfast. "I don't know, I was thinking about going over to kits and seeing if he wanted to grab some donuts with me." she looked up at me, "you wanna come too?"

"I would love to, but I've got to get to work… I've got a lot of paper work to do," I said giving her a sympathetic look. "Uh, hey do you still have my shoes?" she looked at me confused so I said, "you know, the ones I lent you last week." I watched as the confusion on her face melted away and was replaced by a look of smugness. She looked me up and down and said, "Yeah, they're in my closet… so why are you all dressed up? Got a date?"

"Actually I do," I said letting her gleam in satisfaction for a minute before adding, "with an eight year old."

She stopped smiling and said, "Chloe you can't cut yourself off from guys completely. Maybe you should have let Jen set you up on that date. Who knows maybe-"

I cut her off there, "We've gone over this before. It just doesn't feel right having a normal human boyfriend. I already have to lie enough and when I get a boyfriend I don't want to have to lie to him."

"Yeah, yeah, I get that but don't you ever get lonely?"

"Well sure, but sleeping with a guy I barely know and then never seeing him again is not going to help that" I said giving her a pointed look. She blushed and dropped the subject.

I walked over to the pantry and searched my side for breakfast foods. I spotted box of cereal and without looking to see what kind it was I pulled it out. I set it on the counter while I went to get a bowl from the counter. I pulled open the box and saw the bright colors inside and recognized it as fruity pebbles. Yes, I know that's a kids cereal, but it's sugary and helps me stay awake. I poured a large amount into the bowl and turned around to get the milk from the fridge. As I turned around I ran into Tori who was standing with the milk in here outstretched hand. I took it from her as she said, "So tell me more about the little girl you're seeing."

"Well," I started, "she's really cute. She has straight dark brown hair and greenish-gray eyes. She likes to get her way and is old for her age, well kind of. She's short- like me short- and doesn't have any friends except for her dad, uncle, and grandma."

Tori rolled her eyes. "I meant," she clarified, "what's she in for?"

"Oh, uh anger issues."

"Really," Tori said with a spark of something in her voice. "So what kind of supernatural do you think she is?"

"Tori, I don't even know if she is one!"

"But if she was what would you categorize her as? I'm thinking half-demon or…witch. We defiantly like to get our way and anger issues are right down our alley."

I thought about it and decided she was probably right. Cailey was sweet which I'm sure _some _witch's can be, and her anger issues could be confused with accidentally hurting someone with a spell. It made sense or if she was a half-demon she could be like Liz. Liz couldn't help it when her powers kicked in and Cailey did say that too. "You now Tori, you might be right," I told her.

"When am I not right," she scoffed

I picked a spoon out of the dishwasher and dug into my cereal thinking about that. _When has Tori not been right?_

_**

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**_

I listened to the soft music playing on the radio. I was sitting in my car driving to work. My hair was curled, my heels were on, and Tori had even given me a jacket to put with my dress. It was still ahead of schedule but I figured I could at least get some extra work done in the office. I put my turn signal on as I pulled off of the highway. I was settling into the beat of the highway when a voice sounded through the car causing my hand to slip off the steering wheel and make the car swerve. I let out a yelp and looked to my side to see a teenager that hadn't been there two seconds ago. I quickly got the car under control and tried to slow my rapidly beating heart.

I could hear the boy next to me laughing. "What do you want Mason?"

"Oh, n-nothing," he laughed. I tried to focus on the road but it was kind of hard, having a laughing teenage ghost sitting right next to you. "So why are you here," I said grating my teeth.

"Well, if you must know," he said, "I'm here because you never finished helping me"

"Sorry buddy but I have problems of my own," I replied

"Alright, I get it, but what if I said I would help you with your problems if you help me with mine?"

I thought about it while watching the road. _Why not? The worst he could do is take up some of my time. Who knows maybe he'll even be able to help me. _"Okay, you have a deal. What's your problem?"

He grinned and said, "Like I said yesterday, I have a girlfriend but I found this other girl I like and now I don't know what to do."

"I thought I solved this for you yesterday," I questioned.

"You did but you told me to tell the girl that I'm breaking up with her. I can't because she's alive and I'm dead."

"Oh," I said understanding his problem "The other girl, the one you like… she _is_ dead right," I asked

"Of course she's dead. I'm not going to try to date someone who's alive. I'm not an idiot you know."

"Of course your not," I said soothingly "Alright here's the answer to your problems. You ready?" he nodded his head "you do nothing,"

He looked at me like I was crazy. "Your dead and so I'm guessing that she already assumes the relationships over. She's not going to be mad if you find another girlfriend." I didn't want to add that she's also probably already found another boyfriend; that might be to much for him to hear.

"but-" he started.

"No, no buts. What I want you to do is go find that ghost girl and work your magic."

"Okay," he said testing the words, "okay, yeah I will! Thanks uh…"

"Chloe"

"Thanks Chloe I owe you one," he said and then disappeared. I smiled cheerfully at the road. I had helped a ghost and made the world a better place-for him at least. I was enjoying the feeling of accomplishment when I remembered how he had said that he was going to help me. _So much for trusting a teenage ghost. What was I thinking? _

_**

* * *

**_

I made my way into my work office and sat down at my desk. I pulled out some papers and started to work on them. I spent hours filling out sheets about my patient, Reading files about my patient, and researching possible illnesses for my patient. All of it was strictly procedure, and most of it ends up in the trash. It's a waste of time writing all of this stuff down but that's how I get my pay check. My boss comes in about every two weeks and looks over all my papers, makes sure they've all been correctly filled out ,then he sits in on one of my sessions, and then lastly he fills out a check and goes on his way.

I lean back in my chair and rest my head on the seat pillow I bought just a few weeks ago. I look up at my ceiling and stare at it. _Passing time, that's what I'm doing._ I start to close my eyes ever so slowly. I peek over at my door to make sure it's closed. Slumping down farther in my chair I completely close my eyes. I feel numb, not rested or tired. Just like im waiting for the next event to happen and until then I've been frozen over. Waiting… time passing…

_**

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**_

"Demi…Demi wake up." I open my eyes to see a face. It was round and tan, and had green eyes. Soft, friendly green eyes. Attached to the face was the most beautiful hair I had ever seen. It looked soft and fluffy and it made you just want to reach out and touch it.

"Where'd you get your hair done Jen," I asked. She looked down at me with a big smile on her face.

"At Pimps and Pinups, do you like it?"

"Are you kidding me Jen? It's amazing, it looks so soft… can I- can I touch it?" She giggled and here face went red but she nodded. I moved my hand so it was sweeping down the side of her hair. I didn't touch it too much; afraid that if I did, whatever magic the salon had used to make it that way would wear off. I looked back at her and she was glowing. Well, not literally, but her face was illuminated. She lived off of times like this and I knew it. One time she had dragged Tori and I into driving down to New York City and getting all dressed up in "sexy" cloths just to get complements from every guy that happened to pass us. Not that it wasn't fun or that I didn't like attention too, but there comes a fine line between attention and… what she wanted to do. Anyway, her hair was amazing!

"You have to show me where that place is sometime," I told her. She nodded enthusiastically. I was surprised that she was acting like her normal self. I figured that after your talk yesterday that she would have at least shied away from me a little. I guess that just goes to show how you really can trust _some _people-not stupid teenage ghosts that don't keep their promises. "So what did you need," I asked her.

"Oh, yeah. I got a call from a…,"she looked at her clipboard, "Mr. Sauller**, **he said to remember 3:30**, **West Syracuse Elementary. _Of course he thinks I'm going to forget_. _Well guess what buddy, I'm not and I'm going to show up early just to prove him wrong! _Wait, I shouldn't be doing this. It's not a contest or war he's just trying to make sure his kids safe. And he doesn't know if I forget things a lot, he had every right to call. Still, it can't hurt to show up early... _and if Cailey happens to mention it to him…_

"Thanks Jen, um what time is it?"

She looked down at the watch conveniently placed on her wrist. "It's about two, forty…five."

"Oh, okay, I've got to go." I searched around the room for my keys. _Where did I put hem._ "Keys…keys…" I whispered picking up stacks of papers off my desk I heard a jingle and looked up to see Jen shaking the keys in her hand. She tossed them to me and they landed in the palm of my hand.

"Thanks," I murmured as I rushed out the door.

I flew past the office rooms and out the front door to where the staff parking lot was. I glanced at my regular parking spot and found my car parked safely. I stumbled over a few holes in the pavement getting to my car but I made it in one piece. I opened my hand to find the right key to unlock the car while I leaned against the slick door of my car. _Nope, not the one with a house on it, not the one with Kwikest on it…shit where is it?_ I jumped nearly ten feet in the air when I heard a voice coming from behind me. I turned around to find-guess who- Mason. "You decided to return, how thoughtful of you." I mumbled along with something else along the lines of stupid ghost, always ruining things, can't keep promises. I fiddled with the keys some more before mason said, "Look down"

I looked down and there was my key. _It must have fallen off. _I bent down and picked it up off the ground. I glanced back up at mason before sliding the key into the lock and saw him wearing a smirk. As if I don't get enough of those back home with Tori. "Just shut up," I mumbled to him. I heard him laugh as I slide into my car. I slammed my door shut and prayed he wouldn't try to follow me. I put the key into the ignition, blasted the radio with whatever teen pop music was playing and looked out my back window. Sure enough Mason was still standing there with his evil little smile playing on his lips. I backed the car up and had my own fun as I watched it slice through him. I let out a sigh and told myself I was being immature. _Imagining your actually hurting him-a ghost- isn't going to help you get rid of him. _In fact that was all too true because when I turned back around to pullout of the lot Mason was sitting in the passengers' seat. "You've got quite a temper there; you know if I wasn't dead, that would have really hurt." He tried to sound hurt but failed when a laugh escaped through his lips. "Okay, so I know what you're thinking." I let him continue talking wanting to know what he thought I was thinking. I bet he couldn't guess. "I left without helping you with your problem or whatever, but I'm back now," he smiled. I continued to keep silent letting him draw his own conclusions.

I pulled out on to the highway and followed it until I saw my exit. I listened while Mason rambled on about him being my Jeanie in a bottle-but without the bottle. And then move on to talking about his new girlfriend, thanks to me. The talking never seamed to end, I was about to drown him out with music when he said something that caught my attention. "Wait, hold up, what did you say her name was?"

His face brightened up and he said, "So you _were_ listening, for a while there I thought I was just talking to myself. Which wouldn't be that bad since I've had to do that a lot since death. Did you know that-" I cut him off because he was spiraling out of topic. I repeated my question again, "what did you say your girlfriends name was?"

"Elizabeth. It's a mouth full if you ask me but if her mama liked that name, who am I to judge," he shrugged. _Elizabeth. Could he be talking about Liz? I mean, that was her full name and she is about the same age as him. _I hadn't seen Liz since the day we took down the Edison Group. Could she have been trapped by them some how? Or had she just been avoiding me? I wonder if Tori or kit know. I'll have to ask them later, but now… _find out if this Elizabeth girl is really Liz. _

"Hey mason," I started. He looked over at me humming a song that I had never heard.

"yeah." he asked.

"Tell me more about your girlfriend." He seamed pleased by this request and went on to describe every detail over her.

"Well to start off with, she has the cutest face. It's tan but not anything artificial, its all natural… from one of those big things girls lay in," I rolled my eyes at his lack of knowledge of what kind of tan was "natural". He went on, "and she has the most perfect blond hair, like, like… the sun!" I gave him a weird look; I hadn't thought he was the type of guy to get all cheesy when talking about a girl. Of course I had only known him for, what, a full three hours now? He noticed me looking at him oddly and said, "What?"

"N-nothing," I replied

He gave me one last suspicious look and continued on with his story, "She's so sweet, wouldn't hurt a fly. And her laugh is like drops of rain falling down on a rooftop…you know?"

"Yeah I know what you mean, but-"

"And the way her whole face lights up when she smiles, I would die a thousand times just to see her smile."

It must be nice to have someone like that. I don't think I'll ever find someone that makes me feel that way. Maybe once upon a time I would've but now… "Mason I'm really glad you found her," I said sincerely, "but would you mind telling me what she was wearing the last time you saw her."

He looked a little confused by my question but answered anyway. "Okay, but you've gotta promise me you wont laugh."

"I promise."

He eyed me cautiously and said, "Well she had on pajamas with fuzzy giraffe slippers." He laughed distantly as if picturing the moment he saw her.

He'd said enough to convince me that his _Elizabeth _was Liz. She was all the things he had said about her-in a less gushy way. "Hey Mason, do you think you'd want to bring Liz- Elizabeth by sometime?"

He gave me a sweet smile and said, "Sure Chloe, I'm glad you asked actually because I was thinking…"

He went on talking about how we could be an awesome necromancer ghost team and take down evil spirits and what not. I kind of tuned him out as I finished the drive to Cailey's school. _I'm finally going to get to see Liz again._

_**

* * *

**_

As I pulled into the pick up area of Cailey's school I noticed how many kids got picked up instead of rode the bus. Back when I was in school I had always wanted to ride the bus, but dad wouldn't let me. He's points of reason were that it wasn't safe and why ride the bus when you can have a driver take there and back every day. As I pulled further into a line of cars with parents waiting to pick their kids up I watched as kids that walked home meet up with their parents.

I saw a big man with blond hair walk over to a little boy with a Spiderman back pack and rustle his hair. I though it was cute how the dad was so much bigger than his son. It reminded me of when I had had to help a family with a werewolf son go into hiding. _But he couldn't be a werewolf-could he?_ The school was in Syracuse where Dere- we ran into Liam and Ramon. It's funny that after all this time I could remember Liam and Ramon, two hostile Werewolves that tried to kill me, but I couldn't remember what happened _that _night. Or what Simon and Derek meant to me. I know that I loved them both, but as what? Brothers? Lovers? And Aunt Lauren, what happened to her and why couldn't I get this nagging feeling that I was missing something off my chest? Everything before waking up in that cold metallic room was just _gone. _

I pulled up a little farther as the car in front of me inched forward. I looked among the sea of kids swarming the school entrance for Cailey. I singled her out after only a few seconds of looking. She was easy to find because she was the only one sitting on a bench reading. Not to mention the bench was separated from the rest of the kids. I felt bad knowing that she was all alone, even I had, had friends in school. Now looking back on them, they might not have been the best of friends, but they were still someone I could hang out with and talk to.

I pulled out of line and tried to squeeze the car into a space between a tree and dumpster. I needed a place where I could be alone for a second. I managed to get the car into the spot and then turn to Mason-who was still sitting in the passengers' seat. At least now he wasn't talking my ear off, but what he was doing wasn't much better. He had the radio turned on full blast and he was literally shouting out the lyrics to the music. He wasn't a particularly _bad _singer, but defiantly not the best.

I turned the radio off and gave him the look. Apparently he knew what the look meant because he started pouting. "C'mon Chloe, I don't want to leave yet! I was having so much fun!" he whimpered

"I know Mason, but I can't have you around Cailey."

"Who's Cailey," he questioned.

"A little girl who doesn't know about necromancers or any supernaturals," I responded

"Oh," he said bringing out the O. "Is she your daughter? If she is I think you should tell her about… you know. Cause if I was your kid-which would be so weird- I would want to know. That way I could go and chop some evil monster ass!"

"No, no she's not my kid. She's uh… friend's daughter. Anyway you can't be here, so go on now… shoo-shoo." I made shooing motions with my hands and tried to push him away unsuccessfully.

"But Chloe," he whined

"No, you need to leave or I'll make you leave." I gave him my sternest look I had. _Dealing with this teenager was a pain in the butt._ I can't even imagine having a _real _teenager.

"Fine, I'm leaving," he grumbled

"Bye Mason," I said in a sweet voice.

And with that he was gone. I took a deep breath and pulled the car out of the crevice it was in. I pulled the car back around the school to where I had seen Cailey sitting before and parked a few feet away. I looked at the digital clock built into the car. It flashed the time _3:28. Yes I made it early! _I looked to where Cailey was sitting and saw here talking to a large man. Now I _know _her dad wouldn't approve of this. Hadn't she ever heard of stranger danger? I yanked open the car door and strode up to her spot. When I stood only a mere foot away from her I said, "Hey Cailey, Who's your friend?" I added a crinkle to my nose to seem like an innocent human to the guy standing next to her. _And to think my day was going so well._

_

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_

_**A/N: **_**So… how was it? I thought some parts were better than others. And I kind of ended you on a cliff hanger! Yeah, sorry about not adding more Cailey into this chapter, but I felt everything in this chapter was needed. But what I want to know from all of you is what I could have done better. I need more constructive criticism! It helps me a lot and I take it under consideration when I write a chapter so please! Tell me what you think, everyone! TOGETHER NOW, I will review… I will review… I will- hehe please?**


	5. Chapter 5

**_A/N:_**** Hey peoples of Fanfiction! As you may have noticed I took a long…break, from Fanfiction. I had school and I was writing an original story (which I finished!) and I just didn't have time to write. So here is this chapter. But I might not update regularly, so there's your warning! I would also like to give a special thanks to _BeachBallofLove _and _PreppyEmoGirl _for reviewing and giving me the kick I needed to start writing this again! Alright here's some shout outs! **

**_Tumblechick13: _****thanks for reviewing and I try to my best to be an evil author!**

**_ Bookninja15: _****Thanks for the review!**

**_ suzi1811: _****Thanks for the review! I'm not sure if the mystery guy's who you think it is. Guess you'll have to read for yourself. I'll have an explanation for the whole not remembering things and all that jazz later on. **

**_aStormatMidnight: _****Thankies for the review! **

**_moon-called-princess: _****Thanks for the review and ;D**

**_AsHlIe'MaRiEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee: _****Thanks for the review! Questions will be answered in this! Ha, sorry I haven't updated in, uh, months. Literally! Hope this makes up for it!**

**_NShadows: _****Thanks for the review! And thanks for giving me criticism, not many people will! **

**_BeachBallofLove: _****Thanks so much for the review! **

**_PreppyEmoGirl: _****Thanks for the review! It's okay that you're just now reviewing because I'm just now updating! Okay so I reviewed Sammi's story and I still need your email! PM me it because it doesn't work through reviews! LOVE the random letters for dramatic flair! DFTBA! If you don't know what that means then I'm very disappointed in you! **

**_Disclaimer: _****I don't own darkest powers all rights are given to Kelley Armstrong!**

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The man looks me up and down. He has jet black hair with startling blue eyes. He is tall, like _tall, _tall. And he is wearing a jacket that tries unsuccessfully to hide his muscles. He stands up straight to reach his full potential and narrows his eyes. _He is trying to intimidate me. _But that's where he goes wrong. I've worked with supernaturals long enough that _no one_ intimidates me. I once had a staring contest with a witch that had a Werewolf husband. Let's just say that the witch didn't hold contact for long.

"Who are you?" he says peering at me with suspicious eyes.

I open my mouth to say something snarky in response but am cut off by Cailey.

"Demi! You're here!" she shouts from her spot on the bench. I lean heavily on my right leg and try hard not to put my hands on my hips. The entirely Tori pose would have made me look like a thirteen year old refusing to get braces. If I was a little taller and more Tori like than I could have pulled it off no problem.

I smile at her without taking my guard down, "Yeah, so are you ready to go?" I throw a few more suspicious glares at the man.

She nods her head enthusiastically. She is about to get up from her spot when she hears the basketball player sized man talk in his rough voice.

"Now wait, Cailey, is this the lady that you've been talking my ear off about?" He tips his head to the side and images of a dog sticking its head out a car window as the car speeds down a busy highway plays in my head.

Half of me is laughing about the funny image and the other half of me is being serious, keeping its head in the game. The logical side of me is thinking: Excuse me? She can't possibly know this person. I would know, or at least her father would have told me. Unless he deliberately didn't tell me this guy was going to be here just to make sure I didn't try anything. If that's what happened then I got to hand it to him, he's pretty smart. And then the other half is thinking: Now if he would just stick his tongue out and make heavy panting noises, the dog within him would emerge.

"Uh-huh! Isn't she as pretty as I told you?" I feel my cheeks heat up. This is making just a little uncomfortable. I've never really liked to be talked about and especially with unknown men.

The man looked at me again with open eyes and said, "You were right Cailey she is pretty. Demi is it?"

Oh yeah, defiantly uncomfortable. You don't just hit on someone minutes after you meet them. Unless he was just saying that because what else was he going to say? No, Cailey, she's short and not my type. Not really an ice-breaker. And even if he's just being nice than I have to feel bad because I just pictured him as a dog with his head out the window!

With all the commotion going on in my head I forget to answer him and Cailey is left to answer for me. Not that she cares though, she probably likes the attention. "Yep, that's her name! And guess what? We have a secret club, only big girls like us can be in! Do you wanna join?"

He laughs and you can physically see his shoulders relaxing. I on the other hand, don't. He's still a stranger to me and I'm not about to go all soft buddy-buddy on him. That will have to wait until, at least, our second meeting.

"I would, but didn't you say only big _girls _can be in it?" He ask with a good point.

She crinkles her nose and taps her chin with her finger. "Hmm," she thinks, "I change my mind! Now it can be a secret club for big girls _and _boys! That way daddy and you can be in it, too!"

"I'm sure your dad would _love_ that." I try to detect a hint of sarcasm in his voice but find none. He sounds completely truthful.

"So, you know her father?" I ask needing more information on him. _C'mon doggie lets hear your story_. Uh, whoops, I mean man not doggie. Stupid brain, making me think like Tori, act like Tori. Maybe what my brains trying to tell me is that I need a big break from Tori.

"Yeah we-"

"Yep, they're bestest friends!" Cailey folds a page down on her book that she is holding and slides it into her backpack. She moves over to where the man stands and tugs on his hand. He moves his eyes from me to look down at Cailey. She tugs on his hand again and makes pleading eyes. He gives me one more sideways glance and then kneels down to Cailey's level. She whispers something in his ear so low that I can't make out the words. Not that I _want _to eavesdrop on them, but knowing a little more couldn't hurt. I mean, so far all I know is that Cailey's father and this man—who still hasn't given me his name—are "bestest" friends, and that he doesn't seem like he has any intention to hurt either of us. Both of which are good things to know but still…

My eyes dart around the school grounds, keeping an eye out for danger. Not that there has been any since _that _day_; _the day I found kit and Tori and started my new life—this life. Keeping an eye on my surroundings has just become more of a habit. My eyes settle back on Cailey and the man who claims to be her father's friend. Cailey is pulling back from his ear while the man whispers something to her quickly. She nods and he gives her a soft smile and a hug.

He stands up and walks a few feet over towards me. "I'm Jason by the way."

_Jason_, I roll that name over in my head a few times. I don't think I had ever heard of any of the Cabal or Edison Groups employees being named Jason, or at least none that looked like him.

"Jason, I'll remember that. I'm Demi." I let a cautious smile slip through my lips. You can be sure that I'll remember you Jason.

"Yeah, I know." He said with a tilt to his lips.

I start to nod my head, but then his words catch up with me. My eyebrows scrunch up and my nose pinches.

"Wait, what? You already knew my name?" The wind blows silently moving my hair across my face. I push it back quickly and stare daggers at him.

He chuckles lightly and says, "Yeah, if you think way back to like, oh I don't know, a few minutes ago? You'll remember that Cailey kind of interrupted you and blurted out your whole life's story."

"Oh, yeah." My face reddens brighter than ketchup and I look away as to avoid meeting his amused gaze.

Everyone's quite as we stand in an awkward silence. Cailey is looking at us, eyes darting from my face to his. A smile creeps onto her face. She tries to whistle and adding a level of sneakiness to her voice she says, "Maybe you and Demi can get together some time. I'm sure daddy wouldn't mind."

Jason widens his mouth as if this thought never occurred to him. "Really you think so?"

Cailey nods her head vigorously and giggles at his face.

"Cailey, that so amazing that your dad wouldn't mind and all," he starts with enthusiasm, "but do you think April might mind, just a tiny weenie bit," he says while taking his thumb and index finger to show how little.

Cailey puts on her pouty face and crosses her arms over her chest. "I forget about her," she states.

"It's okay, Cailey. Look, you like April right? She takes you on shopping trips, "he makes a disgusted face then adds, "You like that right?"

She lowers her eyes to the ground and says, "Uh-huh"

"Then you have no reason to me blue or red or whatever color you are, he finishes with a cheery voice.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Can we go now Demi," she looks at me with pleading eyes that I just cant say no to.

"Yea-"

"Now you hold up, little miss Cailey," Jason says over me.

He walks closer to Cailey and bends down again. He grabs her chin and tilts it up towards his face. A sharp pang goes through me and I feel like I'm missing something. Still holding on to her chin he locks eye with her and says, "Don't be mad with me. It okay that you forgot that I'm with April, but this being mad at me thing? It's not working. You need to stop with all the fussing and understand that I'm not mad at you but I cant "go out" with Demi."

My heart feels like its collapsed and I don't know why. Something about the way he so calmly talks to her. It just makes me want to curl up in a ball and cry. He releases her chin then takes her in for a hug and another sharp jab hits my heart. I look away hoping that I can clear my brain of whatever toxin is doing this to me, but instead images of Jason tilting Cailey's head up to his, fill my brain.

"See ya' later girl," Jason says and I notice that Cailey's now standing beside me with her backpack on and a smile from cheek to cheek playing on her face.

"It was nice to meet you," I say to Jason as I start to guide Cailey away from her school.

"Same here," he replies. I nod my head at him and give him a closed lip smile, finding that that's the mostly I can manage.

I guide Cailey towards the car and she sings softly to herself. The trees we pass sway in the wind and a gentle breeze makes fallen leaves rustle.

At the car I open the backseat door for Cailey and as I'm about to close it she yells out, "Bye bye Jason!" Then I slam the door shut.

* * *

(Jason's pov)

I watch the car pull out of the school driveway before darting into the woods. Cailey's safe and in responsible hands. _Check. _She's happy. _Check. _And I'm reporting back to Lucas. _Check. _

I don't bother to take the time to turn into wolf form. Running gets me there almost as fast and leaves me with way more energy. Which I wouldn't have to be worried about if Lucas wasn't having me run all around town to watch over his precious little baby. Not that I don't love Cailey, she's like a little sister, but she's a big girl now she doesn't need me to follow her around twenty-four seven.

I dodge trees and jump lugs huffing air out my nose trying to keep up with the _right _way to breath. Ever since April took that dumb yoga class she's been all over me about "correct posture" and "Living a healthy lifestyle". I'm a werewolf for Pete's sake! We can't be unhealthy, seriously, have you ever heard of an overweight werewolf? I don't think so. But id April thinks this important than I'll just have to tough it out.

I take another deep breath in my nose then out my nose. How the hell do you breathe like this? I hop to a stop and take a deep breath trough my mouth letting the cold air whistle down my throat and to my lungs. I let out a sigh of relief. This isn't going to work for me. Nope, nada, no. I'll just explain this to April calmly, and with luck, we'll have minimum conflict.

I use my arms to push myself off the tree where I've been resting. I start up with a steady jog then work my way into a run. I use my nose to follow my earlier trail back to the pack house. The pack house isn't a really the whole packs house, its Lucas's, but we all kind of gravitate towards it.

The trees open into a clearing and I recognize this as the half way point. Once upon a time April and I had come to this clearing and had a picnic. Then when it started to rain we used the blanket we had laid on the ground to shield ourselves. We made it half way home before April tripped on the slippery mud and we both went tumbling to the ground. Instead of getting up we laughed and as it started to get quite our thoughts moved to…other things. That was the first time we did it…you know, kissed. It wasn't our first date; we had dated for weeks, more like months, before we kissed. Not that I didn't want to, oh I wanted to, I just didn't want to be too pushy. But after our first kiss we were inseparable and any confusion was cleared. I told April she was my mate and she accepted it. Life was good. Then a little "accident" happened and April, poor human April, was changed. Literally.

I shake the thought s from my head. Too much, can't think about that. I take a deep, calming, breath from my mouth and speed up to finish the last few feet of the trail.

Outside the cover of trees it's brighter. Two of the other pack members are hanging out on the front of the pack house. Their tossing a football back and forth aiming for each others heads. I think that it's a stupid game, but many pack brothers have taken a liking to it.

"Hey man, what's up?" I shout to Dale who's closer to me.

He passes the football to Steve who's standing about forty feet away. Turning around a smile comes onto his face and he jogs over to me.

"Dude, where you've been?" he asks, wiping sweat from his eyebrow.

I shrug my shoulders and say, "Just running some errands for boss."

"Shhh, dude, don't say that so loud. Lucas's been bitchin' about bein' called "Boss" again." He rolls his eyes. "But really, I'm not thinkin' your wanting to the next on his list."

We both laugh about this because we know Lucas's growl is bigger than his bite. The worst he's done to a guy is break his nose, and that was a special exception. I grit my teeth just thinking about it, but then with a shake of my head I'm good again.

"Hey you sexy wolf, get your fanny over here!"

Dale's head whips around and mine does too, but slower and with more grace. Bree's standing on the front porch of the pack house, waving her hands and grinning like crazy. Bree's Dale's mate. She's one hundred percent human and just as American. Her blond hair blows slightly as the wind picks it up and her thin shirt flattens against her stomach. The pack always argues about how Dale scored a girl like her. I mean she's just so…and Dales all…but Dale says that they grew up together and it was "meant to be".

"How does she go from "sexy wolf" to "fanny"?" Dale mutters under his breath.

I spit out a small laugh quite enough for only us to hear. "You picked her, man"

"Yeah, and I thank God she picked me, too, every day."

We walk the rest of the way to the house in silence. The wind dies down and Steve throws the football to me, a silent question. I shake my head and throw it back to him and walk the rest of the way into the house. A blast of cold air hits me as I close the door and I look away when I see Dale and Bree, uh, "talking".

"Get a room, "I say as I pass. Dale smiles against Bree's lips.

I walk through the hallway looking at the pictures on the walls. There're mostly pictures of Lucas and Cailey together, some with them smiling, some not. Then there are pictures of the pack. Cailey's in some of them smiling wide sitting among a pile of huge men and their mates. And then you have everybody's favorite: All the girls, including Cailey, holding onto one side of a rope arranged shortest to tallest and then all twenty some of the pack guys, including Lucas, holding the other side of the rope, playing tug of war. The guys won of course, and when we let the girls win they whined and demanded we play something that didn't call for muscles to win. That ended in five rounds of Apples to Apples and the girls winning each time.

I walked into the yellow colored, newly refurbished, kitchen. Before it was a dump; orange colored walls and cracked counters. And when the pack gave Lucas the idea to _move_, he freaked out saying that was just impossible. So, instead, all the girls got together and picked out colors and styles while the guys tore up everything and installed it. Now the places is looking good with new everything.

Choruses of "heys" sound throughout the room as I take a seat at the counter. Travis, Wood, Joshua and his mate Stephanie, Connor and his mate Olivia, and Colton and his mate Sophie are all scattered out around the room.

"Hey," I say picking up a cookie that Wood made. We all take turns making the food in the house and today's day is Woods. I pop the cookie in my mouth. Oh, God that's good. Wood's the second best cooker in the house, Lucas is the first.

Joshua pulls a seat up next to me and takes a cookie, too. We sit in silence for a while and then Joshua says, "You better take a shower."

I give him a questioning look. "What?"

He takes another cookie, cracks it in two, and then eats half. "I mean, you smell like some girl. And I know from experience that your girl won't like having her stink all over you."

"Oh, yeah, yeah, I'll do that," I say dismissing the subject. April isn't the kind to get jealous.

"I'd do it soon if I was you, April will be home any time now." He gives me a look and I stop chewing. Maybe he's right.

I hope up from my chair and bound up the stairs to Lucas's shower. If I was anyone else than Lucas might mind if I take a quick dip in the tub without asking him, but we've been friends the longest and I guess you could say I'm his Beta. I open the bathroom door and then turn on the shower letting it heat up before I get in. While it's warming I close the door and undress. I let my right hand linger under the water as I test it for hotness. Once I approve, I jump in and let the water and soap wash away the sent of Demi.

* * *

Later, downstairs, while I'm sitting watching TV with a few other guys Lucas walks in.

"Hey boss!" I shout. A few guys around me snicker into pillows. I turn around to look at him and just as I figured, he's scowling at me. That man can work the scowl.

Lucas is a seven foot, brown haired, freakishly intimidating guy. He's the biggest of the pack but that's because he's Alpha—he's supposed to be the biggest and tallest. At first a lot of the pack was scared of him, thought he would go around getting his kicks from others pain. Can't say he would be the first Alpha to do that. But it turns out he's a total softie. He really cares for his daughter and the whole pack. He even goes as far as caring for the packs mates. It's a wonder that he doesn't have a mate himself.

"Cailey back yet?" he asks.

"Nope," I say, turning back to the TV. He growls quietly to himself and everyone ignores him. We all now how possessive he gets over her.

"Hey, Lucas, tell Wood to make us some sandwiches. Were starving over here!" Dale yells.

He nods his head and starts to make his way to the kitchen when he abruptly stops and turns back around. I look up at him from the couch and he locks eyes with me. He growls and takes a few steps towards me. I get up from the couch and take a few steps back raising my hands above my head. Lucas keeps growling and his nostrils flair.

"Hey, man, what's wrong? Just cool it!" I say from against the wall.

He takes another step towards me, takes a big sniff, and then shakes his head. His eyes close and he turns around and runs up the stairs.

Well that was odd.

* * *

**_A/N: _****Please review! I love hearing your thoughts on this! Praises, criticisms, and flames are all accepted! **

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	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: **_**hey guys, I'm updating considerably faster than last time! The chapter might not be the best but ehh. I wanted to get this chapter out. So here you go!**

**tumblechick13: Thanks for the review! 1. Derek is closer than you think. 2. Simon is in it but less than Derek I had them change their names. 4. They have all been introduced into this story. 5. I'm sorry your confused please keep reading!**

**PreppyEmoGirl: thanks for the review! 1. I try for pure awesomeness! 2. I'm updating soon so yay! 3. I think you did mention that it's awesome. Hope your not disappointed in this chapter, I was a little.**

**aStormatMidnight: Thanks for the review! You're the second person who's told me my stories amazing and that means so much to me! Thanks.**

**NinjaTurtles909: thanks for the review! I know I take forever to update and I'm sorry! **

**suzi1811: thanks for the review! 1. Yep Dereks Alpha. 2. Youre really good at this guessing game! 3. I'm glad you like Jason, I find myself liking him a lot, too. 4. Pack not knowing his real name will be investigated later. **

**moon-called-princess: Thanks for the review! ;D**

**Bookninja15: Thanks for the review! 1. ratiocination= knowledge or understanding ****2. All your guesses are good, I wonder if there right… 3.** **hebetude=dullness of mind. 4. I'm sure you have your reasons! 5. I most certainly did look up those words!**

**YourSantaClaus: Thanks for the review Santa! I think that it's really cool that you didn't think my story was going to be good at first then I proved you wrong! Maybe I really am a good writer. **

**Xrubyx: Thanks for the review! **

**Shadowbladeandcookies: Thanks for the review! 1. Hey I reviewed your story! 2. Lucas very well may be Derek 3. Simon and Lauren are someone… 4. They'll meet soon, but not this chapter. Sorry! 5. Derek didn't smell Chloe's sent on Cailey because by the time she got to him she had been touched my Chloe's secretary, hugged by her Uncle Sam, and just all the scents from around her masked the scent of Chloe. **

**LovingTheUpdates: Thanks for the review! Okay? Umm odd review…thanks anyway? Sesame seed? Hope it has salt!**

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_**Discalimer: **_**I don not own Darkest Powers.**

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* * *

**The car ride from Cailey's school to my work office was fast and painless. I turned the radio on and we talked about movies while singing to the latest Rihanna song. Walking into the building we raced each other. Cailey went up one set of stairs while I went up the other. It wasn't until we sat down in my office that we had a problem.

"So," I started. Cailey was sitting on the couch with her feet pulled up to her chest. It reminded me of something I used to do.

I wandered around the room aimlessly for a few seconds racking my brain for something to say. What happened to all the questions I had planned out for her last night? Where had they all gone? I opened the blinds then with a calming breath I went to sit next to Cailey.

I plopped myself down on the couch across from her and I folded my legs under me. _Ow!_ Something's poking me in the butt! I wiggled in my seat to find that I still had my shoes on. I peeked at Cailey through my lashes to see if she had seen my embarrising moment. Of course she had.

Her hand was covering her mouth in a way meant to stop her from laughing. My face heated up which only added to my embarrassment. I'm the grown woman; shouldn't I be the one secretly laughing while she does something embarrassing?

I removed my shoes and tossed them down to the floor. They flipped and rolled a few times but came to a stop eventually.

"Alright, how about you tell me about your day," I said. Oh crap, did I really just ask that! I sounded like I was talking to a forty year old lady, not a child.

"Okay! Um, first daddy woke me up. Then I brushed my teeth. Then I said good bye as Uncle Sam and Daddy left. Then I-"

"Cailey, Cailey, Cailey," I said stopping her from replaying her whole day for me. "Never mind with that question. How about you tell me about what you did with your Uncle yesterday. You said he came over right?"

"Yep! We played video games for a long time until Daddy said, 'Cailey it's time to go to bed.'" She said this in a deep voice, imitating her father.

I couldn't tell if that was an accurate imitation of her father because I had never met him, but it was a nice, low voice.

"I said, 'No, I don't wan to' but Daddy said—in his voice that means "do it or else"—that he has important business to talk about with Uncle Sam."

"Hmm, so did you get to stay up?" I asked, really interested. That just showed how much of a life I had. Besides Tori and Jen I was on my own, with the exception of Kit every now and then. Not that I'm complaining…

"No, when I didn't go to my room Daddy picked me up and carried me to bed." She was picking at her toes nails, which were painted blood red with a white Hawaiian flower on the big toe.

"Does your dad ever do anything to you when he gets mad?" I asked this because—no matter how much I hated to work while we were having "Girl time"—I had to find either a diagnosis for her or pin her as a supernatural and make her a fake diagnosis. And sometimes anger issues were passed down from parent to child.

"Not really. Sometimes he yells, but that's all. He's never even spanked me like other kids at schools parents have done to them." She seemed smug about that.

I nodded thinking that over in my head. If her father wasn't a violent person than it could have been coming from another person. Say, a family friend?

"Cailey, has Jason ever hurt you or hurt someone in front of you?"

Her face paled. _Jackpot! _She looked down at her feet and held them while she rocked herself back and forth. _Oh-no! _No, I didn't want to make her upset! I didn't want to make her result to the rock-back-and-forth-until-your-problems-disappear method. That was my method, I knew how it worked. And I knew that it didn't help, it just distracted.

"Oh, C-Cailey I'm s-sorry! You d-d-don't have to talk ab-b-out it, if you don't want to! B-but if you d-do I'm he-he-here." My stutter didn't help me sound self-reassured. In fact, it made me sound like a little girl crying over losing her mommy in the grocery store. But maybe that is what she needed. Maybe she needed another girl to talk to, someone outside her family that could look at her stories from another view.

"What's her problem?" Okay, maybe I wouldn't be the best person to get another point of view from.

Mason stood hovering over Cailey while silent tears streaked down her face. He kept trying to touch her cheeks and feel the tears dripping down her nose and onto her knees. After having his hand pass through her he stopped trying. He had a sad look on his face and I wanted to reach out and give this annoying teenage boy a hug like I would have done if he was alive. But I knew that wouldn't work, I would pass through him the same as he did with Cailey, and end up making him feel worse.

"Cailey, p-please say something," I pleaded with her.

She hugged her knees closer to her but didn't say anything. I looked at Mason again to see him gone, and then pop up closer to me.

"Chloe, what's wrong with her? Why's she crying?" I cringed because I wanted so badly to be able to talk to him. To explain this whole situation, but I couldn't because Cailey's here.

"Chloe? Why won't you talk to me Chloe?" I kept ignoring him, but now my pain for Cailey was turning to anger towards Mason. I _had_ told him that I was going to be with a kid that didn't know about "my kind."

"Chloe?" he whined, "I know you can here me!" I moved my legs out from under me and criss-crossed them. They started to bounce as my nervous reaction. Crap, I have to be calm.

"Cailey please talk to me. Listen, we don't have to talk about whatever Jason did." I soothed while pleading.

"Chloe I demand you answer me!" Mason bellowed at the same time Cailey said, "No I want to talk."

My heart that had been thudding against my chest so loudly seconds ago was now still. I replayed both of their comments sorting them out in my head. Mason's comment in particular caught my attention. Not that Cailey's didn't, but Mason, demanding _me _to do something? If anything it was the other way around!

In my head I thought about millions of comebacks sure to hit him where it hurt. Things about being dead mostly. Words bubbled into my head and popped saying "freak" and "Your dead" and "no one cares about you". All of which would have been great to use on him, but while sitting with a non-supernatural, they were nothing but a waste. But I swore, one more comment from him like the last, I would not hesitate to politely excuse myself and then have a stern talking to with him in the hallway.

"Cailey, honey?" The words coming from my mouth seemed so foreign. I had never used a word like "honey" to talk to anyone. And where had this sudden calmness come from? Where had the anger went?

Cailey didn't look up, but I could see her tears streaking down face and then plopping into her knees. I wanted so badly to comfort her; to make her see that things will be okay. Apparently so did Mason because he was back to crouching beside her making soft, calming noises. A smile went upon my lips for the boy I had been so angered with seconds ago. The mood swings were wearing me out. I didn't know how much longer I could handle being constantly mad, then happy.

Being caught up in my thoughts, I let my hands move by themselves. They moved closer to Cailey and my body went with them. Then I was sitting completely in front of her with two of my fingers resting under her chin. Ever so slowly I pulled her chin up to face me. Eyes interlocked. The sharp pang that went through me earlier when I'd seen Jason do this to Cailey was back. I didn't know why and I wasn't sure I wanted to. That would hurt more. But if this could get Cailey calm, then I would take all the pain she could throw at me.

Looking into her eyes I could see so much. Her green specks showed me her sadness and the grey told me how sad she was. But with my touch—holding her chin up, her tears stopped. I wondered why something as simple as moving her face up to meet mine could bring so much comfort to her and pain to me.

"Cailey, do you want to talk now?"

Her eyes glistened, shinning into mine. She nodded her head and turned herself around so her back was to me. Then she leaned heavily against me and, acting on instinct, I wrapped my arms around her. She let out a sigh and I saw Mason from the corner of my eye settle against the opposite side of the couch. Looks like he's decided on staying.

"Cailey, can you tell me what happened?" I asked. Her body was relaxed against mine and I stroked her arm softly, the way I pictured a mother doing to her child.

She started with a low shaky voice, "I have to tell you a secret."

"Okay, honey, I promise I won't tell anyone. Ever." She nodded her head approvingly.

"My daddy told me not to tell anyone. But I can trust you Demi. I know I can."

I stopped stroking her arm and laid my head against hers instead. Her brown hair was soft and being with her felt more right than anything in my life ever had. Like she was my missing child that I never had.

"You know how I told you daddy lives with just Grandma Laurie and sometimes Uncle Sam? Well he does, but not really. Grandma Laurie has a house way out behind ours, back by our garden. Uncle Sam only stays with us when he's not working and when he is he's living with friends.

"Jason and some other of my daddy's friends live with us. Not all the time, but they're at our house almost every day. They also bring their girlfriends." She turns around to face me. "I don't know why daddy told me not to tell anyone. It doesn't seem like a very good secret to me." I searched her eyes and came up with nothing. She was completely consumed in her own world.

"One day Jason was over at our house with his girlfriend, April. They were playing outside with me and Hal—another one of daddy's friends. We were playing Frisbee extreme. April was on my team while Hal and Jason were on the other. When we play Frisbee extreme we have to tackle the other player to get the Frisbee away from the other team, like in football. So when Jason and I were blocking each other April and Hal were both running for the Frisbee. They both jumped in the air to catch it and then they flew to the ground and wrestled for it. They were both laughing so Jason and I kept on blocking each other and he tickled me while I tried to get away. But then we heard a really loud yell." Cailey's eyes were getting really wide and tears were starting to form again.

"Jason stopped really quickly and ran over to April. She was holding her hand and crying and yelling. I was so confused and I didn't know what happened. I still don't. But then daddy came running out of the house and Jason was holding April and Hal was running. Daddy asked Jason what happened but I didn't hear what he said. Daddy started to run after Hal and when he caught up to him he hurt Hal's nose. Later when I saw Jason he told me daddy broke it.

"After daddy hurt Hal's nose he brang Hal back to Jason and asked him what he wanted to do with him. Jason said to lock him up so that's what daddy did. April was still yelling and crying and Jason was crying too. They took her to a bedroom in our house and she stayed there all night and the next day. Jason barley ever left and one of the few times he did, I followed him." Cailey wiped tears from her eyes and sniffled. "He walked to where Hal was locked up at and went in. He closed the before I could follow him in, but I watched through the key whole." Cailey looked up at me and my heart poured for her.

"Jason hurt Hal real bad. He hit him and kicked him and called him mean names. I watched him for a while, but then daddy showed up and took me to my room. He said that Hal wasn't a nice guy and that I would always be safe. The next day Hal was gone, and I never saw him again."

* * *

I was silent after hearing Cailey's story. That must have been such a horrible thing for her to have seen. It would haunt her for the rest of her life, just like the memory of my mother dying would haunt me. It's a wonder that Cailey's not scared of Jason knowing that he had probably killed a man and if not, seriously injured. I would be scared of a man that had done something like that.

"That's horrible," Mason said. He was lying on the floor now with his arms placed straight at his sides. His lips barely moved as he spoke. "To have to see such horrible things. And at such a young age." He shook his head as if he was trying to get the words of her story out of his head.

"Cailey, it's okay." I stroked her hair and she wept silently. Everything in the room was still. There was no noise from outside coming through the windows or sounds of voices from down the hall. The air was thick and tension held strong. No birds sang and no workers whistled. We sat and let our hearts beat. Staying alive but not _living_. And that was okay for a while. For a long while, maybe an hour passed. We wouldn't have known.

It wasn't until a _Bing _came from my laptop that we stopped. That sound seemed to break the invisible barrier that had formed between everyone in the room. All at once we all started to talk, although, to Cailey, it was only her and I talking a once.

"I better-"

"I'm okay-"

"I've got to get back to-"

All three of our sentences were cut short by our laughs. We laughed until our stomachs ached and our throats were hoarse. Even then we giggled quietly, then stopped, looked at each other, then started up again in the uproar of laughs. We couldn't be contained and Mason bounced around the room appearing in different spots laughing harder each time. I got up from my spot on the couch and went over to my stereo and turned some music on. Fast frantic noises came from the stereo and I ran back over to Cailey and offered her my hand. She reached out and took it and that was how we ended up dancing around on top of the couch. And then on top of the tables. And then doing cartwheels and summersaults on the floor. By the time I had remembered that what had started all this was a _bing_ on my laptop signaling I had a email It was twenty minutes later. And my emotional rollercoaster went on now at the top of happy.

* * *

I was dancing on the couch and Cailey was hopping on the coffee tale while Mason belted out the words to the songs and twirled around the room when Jen walked in. Her red hair flashed through the door and she stood, shocked, with a clipboard in hand. She looked very professional while I did not. My shoes were off; my hair was down and in a mess, and my jacket was thrown somewhere across the room. The music was still blasting and Cailey was jumping on the table not noticing the addition of people.

"Uh, Miss Soulia, you have a parent that has called to make sure you received an email," she shouted above the music. Cailey finally noticed that someone else was in the room and hopped down from the table. She grinned shyly and then sat down on the couch making sure not to look in the Jens' general direction. Mason on the other hand had no problem with her being in the room and kept on singing while dancing closer and closer to her.

I ran to the stereo and turned it off all the way. The room was eerily silent. I cleared my throat to add some noise. I looked at Jen and she was now smiling and glancing around the room.

"Looks like you were having quite some party, Miss Soulia."

I grinned and walked over to her smoothing out my cloths. I took a hair band off my desk as I walked by and tied my hair up in a messy bun.

"Yes, we were. What did you say about an email?" I asked.

She winked at me and then looked down at her clipboard and started to read off the message. I played with my fingers and looked back at Cailey who was still sitting with her eyes adverted.

"A "Mr. Sauller" sent you an email and he called in about five minutes to go to check if you got it. He said he never got a reply." Jen's tone was official and she sounded like the secretaries that you would watch on TV.

"Oh, I must have forgotten. Uh, let me check my email. I'll send him a reply right away. Thank you!" I called out while walking back to my desk.

"You're welcome," she said with a too sweet voice. I heard a slight pad of feet then the booming sound of a heavy wood door closing.

As I went to sit down in my seat I was confronted by Mason who had already claimed it as his own. I muttered a "move" under my breath trying to not pull attention to myself. He smiled playful and whispered, "No." I let out a silent huff of breath and said so lowly that Cailey couldn't have been able to hear, "I'm not going to sit on you."

He barked at that. "Good!"

"Well then…move!" I said raising my voice slightly.

Mason looked over my shoulder to Cailey. "Shhh! Not to loud, you don't want to worry the kid would you?"

In my head I was beating him up so much! But to keep my calm I turned this situation into a movie. It was one of the few things I had kept doing since I was an adult.

Alright, so Mason, the annoying teen ghost, is in my seat trying to make me lose my cover. In the movies this scene would be dramatic and have suspense filled music—the situation would probably be more…life threatening, but what can I say. Me, the adult necromancer, has to find a way to get into her seat without Cailey, the human child, knowing that she is struggling with a ghost for her own stupid chair.

The plot of this movie sounded completely idiotic and I would never go to see it in the theaters. It wouldn't sell millions and most likely it would be the laughing stock of the whole country. Not that that mattered. I just needed to get my chair back.

In the movie the necromancer would find a way to trick the witty teenager out of her seat. She would come up with her own sarcastic remark to shove at him; all the while the little girl would have no idea what went down.

Only problem was that I was not living in a movie. So that didn't work. In fact my little distraction did the opposite of help. Cailey was standing behind me and I knew it. I felt her presence.

"Whatchya doin'?" She asked.

I jumped from her voice although I knew she was there. _As skittish as a kitten. _I remembered that phrase from somewhere. I bugged me that I didn't know where. A voice came with it and it sounded eerily familiar. Like an old friend, but I couldn't match any of my friends faces with the voice.

"Oh, C-Cailey! I was just checking my email," I lied, trying to cover the screen of my laptop.

She scrunched her nose and leaned forward. "No you weren't. I was watching you. You were saying something."

"N-no I wasn't," I argued.

"Yes you were," She disagreed.

"Cailey, why don't you get your stuff together? I think were going to leave soon." She dropped the subject and nodded her head. Her frown was evident on her face. She shuffled away picking up her shoes and coat.

I hurried over to my laptop not sitting in my chair. If Mason wanted to play then he would have to wait for some other time. I pulled open my email and let my hands flow over the buttons typing in my password. The letters each made a _click _sound when pressed down and I found comfort in it.

My inbox said I had one new message so I dragged my mouse over to it and clicked "open". The circular loading message came on my screen and I groaned.

"What's wrong?" Cailey asked from the couch. My eyes flicked over to her. She was putting on her socks, rolling the tops.

"Nothing, my computers just taking forever to load."

"That happens to daddy a lot. He gets frustrated and then his leg starts to bounce really fast. I think it's funny!"

I looked at her and smiled. She smiled back. I made me eyes go cross eyed and then forced them to look around the room. She tried to do the same but it didn't work and we both laughed about it. I turned my head back to see what Mason was doing, but he was gone. That boy was going to get it someday.

I grumbled about him in my head until my email opened, _finally._ Then I scrolled down to the messages. All that was there was was one sentence and I found myself disappointed. I don't know what I was hoping for, but this wasn't it.

_Demi Soulia, _

_When will you have Cailey return home?_

_Lucas Sauller. _

Short and to the point. I quickly typed out a reply saying that I was bringing her home now and that we should be there in about fifteen minutes. Then I moved from my desk and sat next to Cailey on the couch. She had her shoes on and tied and was currently struggling with the zipper on her coat.

"Here, let me help," I said, sweetly.

She stopped fumbling with it and stared up at me with an exasperated look. I laughed at her expression and took her coat into my hands. The metal zipper was cold and it made mental pictures of a big metal room with cold floors and spell locked doors pop into my mind. I hated thinking about _that _day. _That_ room in particular. But questions like where are my friends that I can barely remember? And why can't I remember what happened before that day, bombarded my mind regularly. Sometimes I would even fall asleep and have nightmares about what could have happened that night instead of finding Kit and Tori.

"Demi, it doesn't go up any higher," Cailey said, pushing me from my head.

"Oh," I replied realizing that I had been trying to force her zipper to zip what wasn't there. I blushed a deep tomato red and dropped my hands to my sides. Cailey giggled at my embarrassment like she always seemed to do.

"Demi, can you put my hair up like yours?" She asked while pointing to my hair. I patted the top of my head and gave her a questioning look.

"Okay?" I said. She beamed at me and then pulled me down on to the couch. Ow, she was strong! She hopped of the couch and placed herself on the floor in front of me. Her hair was tangled and messy from our dance party, but that doesn't matter when all you're doing is putting it into a messy bun. In fact, half the work's already done if it's messy. She handed me a hair band that came from who-knows-where. I didn't think I had seen her wearing one earlier, but who am I to question. I quickly pulled her hair up and it turned out pretty well if I do say so myself.

"Well, Miss Cailey, your hair is finished!" I said in an Italian accent.

"Thank you, Miss Demi," She said trying to imitate my voice.

I stood up and grabbed her arm making her follow. I walked back to my desk and fished my keys out of the stacks of paperwork they had fallen into and grabbed my coat and purse. My computer made another _bing _just as I was about to close it. I told Cailey to wait just a second and then I pulled open the email. It said:

_Thank you_

_Lucas Sauller._

There was no _Demi Soulia _at the top. Just two measly words: thank you. At least he knew how to be polite; that's one better than Mason.

I shut my laptop and picked it up. Cailey bounced around in her spot by the door and I said, in a joking tone, "If you keep jumping you're going to make me sick."

She laughed and started to bounce higher. I playfully hit her and she hung on to my arm swinging around on it.

"You know what, Demi?" She asked me.

"What?"

"This I how I picture having a mom," She said with a sad note at the end of her voice.

"Me too, Cailey, me too."

* * *

Hey guys, please review! If I get ten reviews by 8:30 on Wednesday the 29th (today), then I'll post the next chapter around 9-9:30 that same night. So please review!


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: **_**hey guys! I asked for ten reviews and I got them! So here's your well deserved chapter! Sorry if I'm posting this after 9:30, I'm babysitting so its hard to write.**

**AStromatMidnight: Thanks for the review!**

**PreppyEmoGirl: thanks for the review! Yay people reviewed, I'm happy ****J**

**Tumblechick13: Thanks for the review. Caileys mom is to be determined. I know who she is, but what fun would the story be if I told you.**

**Anonymous: Thanks for the review! I cant wait for them to meet too!**

**Moon-called-princess: Thanks for the review! ;D**

**YourSantaClaus: Thanks for the review! I really hope you didn't check every hour for this because its just now here! Wow I feel so cool for being on a list! Thanks and love you!**

**Jenny: Thanks for the review! **

**Murrey-2012: Thanks for the review! **

**xrubyx: Thanks for the review!**

**Suzi1811: Thanks for the review!**

**NShadows: Thanks for the review! **

**BeachBallofLove: Thanks for the review! She'll meet Derek soon. I don't want everything to go to fast!**

_**Discalimer: **_**I don't own anything!**

**

* * *

**(Jason's POV)

I saw a purple car pull into the drive way and I rushed out to meet it. That had to be Cailey and Demi. Who else could it be? Well, it could be one of the pack brothers, or a brother's mate, or…the list went on. But I was fairly sure it was Cailey and Demi. That was the same car Demi was driving earlier.

A cold rush of air hit me as I ran faster. I shivered but kept going. Nothing was going to slow me down; I was going to beat Lucas, to the car. And if I did, it would be my first time, ever. Everything in this house was a competition. Eating, sleeping, video gaming: all competitions. There was only one winner and Lucas and I were always neck and neck. We were constantly trying to our beat each other so even seeing who could get to the car first was a competition.

"Jas, where are you going?" I heard April shout from behind me.

I turned around so I was jogging backwards and said, "I'm getting Cailey! I'll be back in a second." Then I turned back around and closed the rest of the distance between myself and the car. Inside I saw two girls: one in the front and one in the back, with their hair up and singing along to the radio. Well, I heard them singing, not saw. Cailey had her eyes closed belting out a high part in the song and Demi had her eyes wide singing softly. The sounds of sweet victory! Any second Lucas would be out and I could gloat about beating him. Of course he would take it like a man, then later on he would challenge me to a game of arm wrestling and he would win. And I would once again be the loser. But, hey, that was how it went.

The radio was turned off abruptly and I pounded on Cailey's window. Both she and Demi let out a shriek and I snorted at them. I pressed my face against her window and made a thoroughly creepy face. That resulted in Cailey giggling and hitting her hands against the frame trying to hit my face while Demi screamed at me to get my face off her car. Both reactions made me laugh out loud.

I dragged my face of her car and looked behind me at the house waiting for Lucas to come out. If he didn't come out because he loved to win then he would because of how protective his was of Cailey. It didn't even register in my mind that he might not come out. But there I was, staring at the house while nothing happened.

A door slammed and my attention was adverted back to the two ladies. Cailey screamed and engulfed me in a big hug. I chuckled and squeezed her tight. When I let her go she made panting noises like I had taken the breath from her. Yeah, like I would do that.

"So I guess I'll go," Demi said. Her arms were crossed against her chest and she was bouncing lightly. Something she probably had gotten from Cailey. Even I found myself doing it sometimes.

"Yeah, thanks for taking her…uh, I figured her dad would come down to talk to you, but…as you see: he is not here."

She shrugged. "It's okay." She started to walk back to her car, shivering from the cold. "Bye Cailey," She said looking over her shoulder. Cailey didn't hesitate to run over to her and give her a hug just as big as mine.

"Bye Demi, see ya later," she said into her shoulder. They both separated and Cailey skipped back over to me. Demi slid into her car and waved as she backed out and left. Dust trailed behind her car leaving the air brown. Cailey coughed a few times and then pulled on my hand.

"Lets go inside!" She shouted at me pulling me along. She was strong like her father. Not that that would be unexpected with her being a werewolf and all. The second girl werewolf in existence as far as I know.

"Okay, okay. Jeesh give me a second." We ran the rest of the way to the house and bound inside. She screamed, "I'm home!" At the top of her lungs and you could hear voices coming from all over the house saying things like, "Hey Cailey" and "Oh really?" and my favorite "Thank God your home Cailey. Now I'll have someone to help me cook!" Of course that last one came from Wood. Just because he was the second best cooker didn't mean that he liked it. Cailey, on the other hand did, some days she would spend all day in the kitchen with whoever had the unfortunate task of cooking for the house. She wasn't the best cooker, but wasn't the worst, by far. And she was only a kid, you've gotta give her credit for that.

She ran back to the kitchen and I followed her because I could smell the trail of a certain someone. I stuck my head in and sought out the person I was trailing. She was sitting at the kitchen table yelling at Wood about having to have a little girls help. At this second she had her head slung back laughing hard. Her wavy brown hair was pulled up into a bumpy pony tail. And she was wearing skinny jeans with a tank top and a light jacket on top. It was the most amazing sight I had ever seen. Fields of flowers and bunnies couldn't compare to her. Brown eyes pulled of her easy, laid back, beautiful look. But then she called Wood a sissy and that's when I intervened.

"There is no way that my man Wood is a sissy! He slaves over a hot stove all day and does he complain once? No!" I walked over and slapped Wood on the back and he threw me a "thank you" look. Then I walked over to April as my stomach did a little jig. She was smiling and I took that as a good sign, so when I reached her I knelt down and kissed her. Her lips were soft and warm and everything I could have ever wanted. When I pulled back I whispered a "Hi."

She laughed and pushed me away. I pretended to fall back, hurt by her touch. I fell into a chair and Cailey laughed at me, pointing and everything. I threw her a scowl and she stopped quickly. She knew I could tackle her down and tickle her until she could hardly breathe.

"So, Cailey, did you have fun?" April asked.

She answered quickly and made wild motions with her hands. "Yes! We danced, and talked, and Demi did my hair!"

April put a shocked look on her face and turned to me. "Did you hear that? Demi did her hair!"

I made my face look like Aprils and looked at Cailey again. "No. Way."

"Yep!" Cailey said with a smug grin. "Where's daddy?"

I looked around. Then making a show out of it I got up and looked under the table, then under the counters, and in the oven. I turned to her. "I don't know."

"But I wanted to—ahhhh!" she screamed as Lucas came into the room and picked her up spinning her around the kitchen. The atmosphere jumped to ten just by having him in the room. It was Pack thing, when the Alpha entered all attentions adverted to him, and everyone felt his emotions.

Cailey pounded on his back and he laughed and set her down. She smiled happily up at him as he crouched down to her level. "How was your day?" he asked.

She made her arms go out real wide and said, "I had this much fun!"

Wood, from the far side of the kitchen, laughed at her. Lucas ignored that though, instead he grabbed her and pulled her in for a hug. He had his face tucked into her neck like Demi did when she hugged her goodbye. That must be the new way to hug. I always thought it was just arms wrap around, then you pull away, but I guess now it has to be all sentimental. All ask April about it later. She would know. April knows everything. She's a super genius. To me at least. She-

"What the fuck?"

These words pulled us all out of our thoughts. We all turned to Lucas who had never once uttered a single cuss word in front of Cailey, let alone the mother load of all cuss words.

He was holding Cailey—who looked completely shell shocked—while he sniffed the air around him. He had his hands tight around her small arms and I could tell that he was going to leave bruises. April must have noticed this too because she got up and yelled at him to loosen his grip. That got his attention and he let go. You could see red prints on her arms that would later on turn to bruises. We all stared at him like he was crazy. He sniffed the air a few more times, his eyes darting back to Cailey every once in a while.

"Man, what's wrong?" I asked while getting up and standing next to April. The whole room was tense due to Lucas' sudden change in mood. I put my arm around April to sooth her tense muscles and my other arm on Lucas' shoulder. His head shot towards my arm and he drove daggers into me—metaphorically that is. He growled a real growl, the first real growl Cailey had heard coming from any of us. We had strict orders not to do anything that would portray ourselves as werewolves because Cailey was not to know. But he had blown his own secret off in a matter of two minutes.

"Man, what's wrong?" I repeated. He growled louder and took Cailey back in his arms pulling her against him. He inhaled her scent deeply and it occurred to me that he might be smelling Demi and jumping to conclusions. _Way to protective._

"Man, that's just Demi that you smell. She was on me, too," I said easily. I guess that came out wrong because April smacked me and shouted "Excuse me?" in a jealous voice. Oh man, messed that up big time. Whoops, lets see how to correct this…

My brain reeled and I tried again. "I _meant_ that that is just Cailey's therapist Lucas smells on her." I gave her a look that said "I would never do that" and then knelt down to Lucas.

"Lucas, you just smell Cailey's therapist. Remember Demi? She came highly recommended and you yourself had the final pick between her and some Mr. Smith guy. There's no need to be-"

"Where is she?" He asked. He was sending off waves of anger and…excitement? Mixed somewhere in between was also nervousness I think.

"Who, man?" I said, confused.

"Demi, where the hell is this Demi girl!" He demanded. He was grabbing on to my shirt with one hand and he had my arm in the other. His face was inches from mine and I could smell his minty fresh breathe. His feelings were muddling my thoughts and I couldn't think straight. Like trying to find one person in a room filled with hundreds of other people of all shapes and sizes.

"Uh, she left. Man, what's wrong with you, your scaring Cailey." Usually this comment would have snapped him out of whatever rage he was in, but not now. Instead of checking to make sure Cailey was okay he pushed me aside and got up. He ran out of the kitchen and after a few seconds I heard a loud slam of the front door.

I took a few deep breathes. April saw this and said, "Though the nose!" Then I was forced to calm myself by taking deep breathes through my nose. And let me just add that it was no easy task.

I heard a small whimpering from the corner of the room and saw that Cailey was crying. I got up and asked April if she could help her. She had a panicked look on her face so I reassured her it would be okay. I gave her a quick peck on the lips and then left the room. Wood and his food were all but forgotten in the whole mess.

I stormed through the house and out the front door. All eyes were on me and I can't say I blamed them. I was going to beat the crap out Lucas when I saw him. Hurting me…ehh no worries, but hurting _and _scaring his own daughter—Cailey! That wasn't okay with me.

When I saw Lucas crouched down on the gravel with his head down I was ready to fight him. Even as I got closer and I heard his heavy panting I still wanted to fight him. It wasn't until I was actually standing above with my fists clinching and un-clenching that I didn't want to fight him. The emotional turmoil has was going through just blew my mind. Was it even possible for someone to feel such sadness and happiness and anger all at once?

"Shit," I muttered under my breath. I let myself crumple down to his level. Half-standing, half-sitting I saw how badly damaged he was. Tears were streaked down his face and dirt from the ground was smeared into that. Never once in a million years did I ever think that I would ever see Lucas Sauller, Alpha and pack leader of big, hairy werewolves, cry.

In my head I was saying the same thing over and over: Shit. That was the only thing that could be said about this situation. That's all that could come out of this situation: shit.

The wind was blowing and rain was starting to pour down. We would be out here in a storm if I couldn't get this big hunk of muscle inside. So I started with the words that were supposed to fix everything. The invincible words!

"I'm sorry."

And silence. So the words that supposedly fixed everything were broken. _Shit._

Rain started to pour harder. It pelted on to my skin and it mixed in with my hair making it wet. I was going to be a sopping mess when I came in. _if_ I would ever come in. The way things were going now, the future wasn't looking so bright. His feelings were still as strange to me as they were before, but I couldn't let that get in between me, and the house twenty feet away. I was determined to get the hell inside, and as soon as possible. Then I could get some answers.

"Lucas, if you don't tell me what the hell is wrong than I'm going to go get

five of our strongest guys and carry you in—willingly or not."

It took him a minute to get the words out but in the end they came. "It was her," he said.

"Her…Demi? Yeah, it was her."

He let out a strangled, fake, laugh. "No, not _Demi_."

Not Demi…okay then. "Man, I don't know who you're talking about."

"She was here! So damn close." He turned to me. "She was here."

"Who, Lucas! Who the hell was here?"

"Don't call me that," He snapped.

"Don't call you what, Lucas?" He was starting to anger me. Why shouldn't I call him by his name?

"Lucas. I am not _Lucas_," He growled at me.

Insane was who he was. If he didn't pull himself together than we were going to have some problems. Cailey needed him; he couldn't turn crazy just yet. So instead of infuriating him more I played along with his "I'm not Lucas" theory. "Then who the hell are you?" I questioned.

He seemed taken aback by this question. Like it really hit him for the first time. We sat in the rain for a while listening to the forest around us. I let him weep and think and everything was awkward between us. Ah, good times.

I decided that I wasn't doing my soaking wet legs a favor by half-standing half-sitting, so I sat all the way down on the mood soaked ground. Not any better really. I sighed loudly letting Lucas—or whoever he was—know that I did not appreciate having to sit in the rain while he cried.

That was the thing that really sucked about being Beta; you had to be for your Alpha when he was in trouble. And no matter how much I wanted to walk away from him, into the cozy house with a fireplace and hot chocolate, I couldn't. _Shit. _

"We might as well talk," I said. If going inside wasn't an option then talking at least gave me something to do.

He gave me a throaty growl. I guess that was a _no_. Alright, no talking, I could manage that. If I didn't think about the rain, and the mud soaking my butt, then I might even be able to sit still.

After about five minutes of just sitting I was getting bored. No talking, no running inside, lalala sitting. La, la, la, hum, hum, hum, boom, boom. Yeah, humming, I could do that. I hummed the theme song to Fish Hooks, Cailey's current favorite TV show, and as I was getting even more bored I sang it out loud. "One, Two, Three, Four, who's that knocking at my door? Five, six, seven, eight, hurry up and don't be late! Nine, ten, eleven, twelve got a secret I can't tell. Clap your fins, flap your tail; school's out ring the bell! Na, na, na, na, ouhhh! Na, na, na, na, ouhhh-"

"Shut up!" Well, someone's a sour puss now aren't they! Meow! God, kitty's got claws…

After another five minutes of thinking of cat jabs, I was getting bored again. Maybe if I couldn't get him inside then someone else could. I would do about anything to get out of this God forsaken rain! Cailey could come out? No, he would kill me if I brought her out in the rain. April? Yeah no, that was just me wanting my mate. Wood? Not sure what he could do besides bring us a sandwich. Which didn't sound that bad. Maybe Wood should be the one to come. Nah. Oh, I got this! Sam, that brother of his! They were always talking on the phone and he hung out here sometimes. He was a pretty nice guy, I bet he would come if I told him his brother was sitting out in the rain not wiling to move or talk. Now the only problem was how was I going to get his number?

I thought this over for a while and then I decided the easiest way would be to just ask for it. If he didn't answer like I expect him not to, then I take it anyway.

"Hey, Uh, not Lucas, can I see your phone please?" I asked. Wait for it…

No answer! Okay, so, I had to just slip my hand in his jacket pocket and-

"What the hell are you doing?" _Shit. _

"Give me your phone," I demanded. I was not going to let him sit out in this rain any longer.

"No," he growled.

"Either you give it to me or you explain to me why you're sitting out here in the rain like a duck!" He scrunched his eyebrows together like Cailey did. He looked like he was thinking this over, and I prayed that it wouldn't be an as long of a thinking as it was last time.

"C'mon, man, hurry up, I'm soaking wet!" I whined. But I deserved to whine a little after sitting out here for an hour.

With a growl he said, "No phone."

I nodded my head. "Okay. Then explain."

He clinched and un-clinched his hands. His tears were gone and anger had replaced it. "She was here."

"No, man, that was just Demi," I said softly as not to anger him more.

"No! Chloe was here God dammit!"

"Chloe? Who's Chloe?" I asked. I was back to being confused, but it was a hell of a lot better than being bored.

"Chloe, is…is…" More tears fell from his face as his words came to a stop.

"Alright, never mind who Chloe is. Who are you?"

The rain poured heavier and lightening flashed all around us. The wind picked up and pebbles flew at us. I could hear voices inside the house announcing that they were going to stay the night instead of try and travel out in the weather. I heard Cailey ask "When's daddy coming in" and April answer "In a bit. Let's go get your pajamas on and watch a movie!" I tuned them all out and waited solely for him to answer. He nodded his head as if making a mental decision and said, "I am Derek Souza."

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**There's your chapter! I hope you like; I think this is my favorite chapter so far! So make sure you review! Please! ;D**

**p.s. Everyone who reviewed for last chapter please review again! I cant promise this quick of an update again, but I love getting all those reviews! The amount of people reading this amazes me and I would love to here your ideas and encouragement. Or flames, whatever you feel like.**


	8. Chapter 8

A/N:

**hey guys! My first post of the New Year! Sorry for such the long wait, I've been sick and almost broke my leg…yadayadayada. So I was super happy with the turnout of the last chapter, really I got so many reviews! But because I got so many of my amazing reviews I won't be able to write out a message to every one of you specifically. I hope this doesn't upset any of you, your name will still be in a overall thanks, but unless I have something in specific to answer or say to you, just look for your name in the list of thanks. **

**To **_**aStormatMidnight, murrey-2012, YourSantaClaus, moon-called-princess(;D),**_ _**tumblechick13, alily123, BeachBallofLove, Jello007, jenaca**_, _**BeachBallofLove(Again),**_**and **_**bookfreak9123**_** thank you for your reviews, guys, you're all amazing!**

_**PreppyEmoGirl: **_**Thanks for the review! P.s. you could never find where I live because it's so secret and hidden that not even I can find it! Hehe.**

_**Shadowbladeandcookies: **_**Thanks for the review! Derek and Chloe will meet soon. Go ahead and keep asking because I will give you the same answer every time! I too hate Simon and Chloe fics—no offense to people who do—and I have a solution to this Cailey thing that I think everybody will agree to like. **

_**suzi1811:**_**Thanks for the review! I have no idea how I'm going to go about telling Cailey about her wolfie-thing, but I hope I can make it good! Of course I'm going to make you wait a few more chapters, what kind of fanfic author would I be If I didn't?**

_**Sophie: **_**Thanks for the review! I have a solution to the Cailey situation and I think everybody will like it, hopefully including you!**

_**xrubyx: **_**Thanks for the review! To tell you the truth, I have no idea how many chapters this will have. I always plan for something to happen in a chapter, and then as I'm writing, something different happens! So, really I can't possibly answer that!**

_**NinjaTurtles909: **_**Thanks for the review! Hey, maybe Sam is Simon! Cailey may or may not really be Derek's daughter! I have a solution for that that I think everyone will like.**

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**_

_**

* * *

**_As I drove away from the house a nagging thought kept pulling at the back of my mind. It demanded attention and no matter how hard a tried to keep it away, it still came back. It had played in my head before but in those cases I could easily push it away. Store it in the closet for winter. This time was different though. For some reason it kept popping up as I drove farther into town. The thought, odd enough, wasn't about anyone I knew. Actually, I wasn't even sure if it was a person at all. The thing—the thing in my thought—was named Astuliap. I didn't know how I knew that, it—no she—was just there in my head. Along with knowing what her name was and that she was, indeed, a she, I knew that she was worried. About what, I asked myself while tightening my grip on the steering wheel. I had no idea. And most of me didn't want to know. I knew if I figured out why this girlish-thing was worried, then I would just have one more thing to hold on my big plate of responsibilities

But deep back, _way_ in the far corner of my brain, I wanted to know. That part of me wanted to know _so_ badly. But I shoved that back where it belonged and tried my best to ignore the thought of Astuliap and her worried looks.

I focused on driving, and driving alone. _Take a left at the stop sign. Speed up on Conner Street. Turn left after the first donut shop. _Trees became scarce as I entered town. Houses showed up more, and people walking the streets waved. Not to be rude, I waved back, but my heart wasn't in it. They couldn't tell, though. When you're the one in the car, driving a good twenty-five miles, the difference between a heart-felt "Hey-how's-it-going-wave" and an "I'm-just-waving-to-you-because-your-waving-to-me" wave was unnoticeable.

Driving further into town, I saw more people than usual. Twenty people in the local park was normal, but forty? Same with the number of sewage workers walking around town. We hadn't had a problem with the towns' sewage line in six years. It had turned deadly and many people were killed. At the time I had suggested to Tori and Kit that we should take a vacation to get away from all the dead, but they gave me a firm no. Luckily, the vacation wouldn't have been needed anyway because after a good week of cautious driving and constantly jumping from every noise, I figured out that none of the dead were there. I thanked whatever great force was helping me and hoped that the ghosts really were gone.

The next five years after that accident were ghost free. Actually, I hadn't seen a single ghost since _that _day. But now, looking around at the multiplied number of people, I was starting to wonder if maybe they were coming back. I could already picture waking up in the middle of the night again, screaming because a maggot-filled dead body was climbing up my legs, demanding to be released. And if that was what was going to start happening again, then I had better be locking my doors and sealing my windows.

The thought of having to go through that again made my spine tremble. My fingers were unexpectedly cold and I turned the heat up higher, on full blast. My window was starting to fog up and tiny droplets of rain were sprinkling down onto it. I slowed my car because rain, driving, and I were not a good combination. Driving I could do. Standing in the rain I could do. But driving a moving vehicle in the rain I couldn't. It had something to do with the way the car became unpredictable when rain hit it. The way it would swerve just a little too far, with just a little too much gas. It all scared me to death.

So my car crept forward slowly making its way to the other side of town and into the suburbs. Each person walking by my window, running to the nearest porch for shelter, had me squinting. I didn't want me theory about the ghosts coming back to be true, but if Mason had found me, how many others could have too. Any regular Joe I saw walking down the street could really be a very dead spirit. By the time I had pulled around to my, and Tori's, house my neck was craned forward with my eyes scanning the streets. I fully realized how stupid I looked. Let's just say elementary kids could be mean and leave it at that. With a deep calming breathe, and a few shoulder rolls, I pulled my keys from the ignition and pushed the car door open.

When I slammed the front door shut I was greeted by laughter. I huffed wanting more than anything to go upstairs and take a long bubble bath in silence. I could practically feel the hot water making my feet tingle and the warm chills I would get up my back. I seriously contemplated running as fast as I could up the stairs and locking myself in the bathroom; not answering to anyone's questions or having to replay my day. I was about to make a dive for it. Two voices towered over all the other noises. I leaned forward with my hands on the staircase railing, getting ready to push myself up.

"Chloe, is that you?" Tori's voice said from the other room. She sounded cheerful, which was semi-normal for her depending on the day. But none the less my half-shaped plan was ruined. I pulled back against the railing letting my head hang back. I squeezed my eyes shut and groaned letting little squeaks of exasperation slip through my lips.

With my head still held back, hanging, I shouted back to her, "Yeah, Tori, it's me. I tried not to sound to…glum, but I'm sure that's the way it came off. The thought of having to socialize had me running for the hills. Today had been a long day filled with extreme highs and lows. I just wasn't cut out for going from protective, to happy, to sad, to happy, to worried. It was just too many emotions that would be better left un-touched. And then my progressing fear of dead coming back to scare me, and the confusing mess involving the girlish-thing named Astuliap were all just a bigger puddle for me to slip in.

I unraveled arms from the railing, letting them trail down the contours of the intricate design carved into the wood. I shook my shoes off and hurled my keys on to the desk conveniently located next to the door. I placed my laptop down on the ugly lime green love seat and then moved my hands to my hair to un-do my up-do.

"Chloe!" Tori shouted a little too loudly for the smallish sized house. "Get moving, were in the living room." I couldn't help but notice that she said "we". So I had been right to assume we had a guest. All I could do was hope that it wasn't one of her new boyfriends. They were all the same; average height with short stylish hair, and too tight of a tee-shirt and the words "one night stand" practically written across their foreheads.

I ambled to the living room with the speed of a slug. I didn't see the need to rush just because Tori said I should. I was an independent woman that can make her own decisions. Well, if you didn't count the times I went to her for makeup help, and clothing help—oh!—and computer help. Besides those times…and a few others…well, never mind, who am I kidding? Tori's like the older sister I never had. I looked to her when I was in trouble or sick and did what she said because "Tori knew best", or something like that.

The lighting seemed to get brighter the further I went into the room. I had a creeping suspicion that someone was watching me and I was constantly flicking my eyes from the walls, to the windows, and back again. The temperature in the room seemed to blast up to an all time high and my brow was sweating. This was not normal. My breathing became labored as I dragged my feet further into the hallway. I tried to shout out for help but my mouth was parched dry. Then, as fast as the heat came on, it shut off.

My breathing became normal again and my mouth filled with saliva. I slumped against a wall to calm my erratic thoughts. Then, with an agonizing throbbing that pounded through to my toes back to my scalp, I blacked out entirely.

* * *

"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" a voice whispered. I looked around trying to find where the voice had come from. I was in a big room filled with candles and skylights. Somehow it seemed to have a red hue, as if the room was on fire. Shadows danced along the walls and I searched for the voice harder. At the far side of the room I saw a girl. She looked to be no more than sixteen. Her skin was pale, but healthy looking and her eyes were bright blue. With a jolt of pain, I realized that the girl was me. Obviously not me now, but me in the past.

I didn't look scared, in fact, I looked almost smug. I had a sly grin on and I was sizing up the room like it wasn't to my standards. I was wearing a long white dress that reached past my feet and lay strewn across the floor. It had spaghetti straps and golden colored jewels under my chest to define my nearly non-existent curves. My strawberry blond hair was curled and placed softly against my back, tumbling its way down in perfect ringlets. I had to give whoever dressed me props, they did an amazing job.

"Of course," the younger me started, "I know every detail, down to the fine print." My voice sounded delicate and smooth, like one of the actresses in the movies I loved to watch. My lips looked perfect and soft as my words fell from my mouth. I couldn't help but be transfixed on this greater version of me.

"So it seems," The voice from before said. "I must say, you have much will power to go through with such a spell. All the possibilities… I must ask—what would you do if you were to be separated from your loved one?"

The younger me's back straightened up and I looked rigid and uncomfortable. My eyes slanted, glaring at the invisible. "I will be sad to part from all of my loved ones, but I will learn to move on."

The younger me sat still, not moving in her fragile looking glass chair. Pain flashed in her eyes. Her muscles were stiff, and bright neon blue veins popped from her wrists that she had so tightly wrapped around the arms of her chair. A death grip.

The voice came again, this time with more force and an anger that wasn't there before. "You know that is not what I mean! What will you do if your loved one, your boyfriend, your _soul_, is separated from you?"

The younger me looked heartbroken. Like the voice had just completely ripped her heart out and thrown it on the floor, where it could be stomped on numerous times by unworthy animals. Emotions flew off her face in plain sight and raced towards me. Love, anger, lust, sadness, fury. I cowered, throwing my hands over my face to keep from being pelted. Peeking through my fingers, I saw the younger me letting tears escape past her eyes. They flew down her cheeks, onto her chest, and into her dress; the dress had never shown brighter.

"I-I don't know what I will do without him," she said, fixing my eyes on the floor. More tears traveled the same path, adding to the beauty of the dress.

"Yes. I know. I can fix that," The voice soothed.

The younger me's eyes darted up to the empty space. She had on a look of hope and longing that I didn't think that I had ever had before. "Really, Astuliap?"

"Oh yes, dear. All you have to do is say a few words and then, ta-da! You problems, gone."

The air in the room grew hotter; wind blowing heat instead of a breeze. Shadows danced faster and I got a prickling feeling the pit of my stomach. Almost like I knew what was going to happen next, and was regretting it. Seconds drifted by as long as minutes. The candles flickered, flames licking the scorching air like a good drink.

"Well, what will it be?" the voice queried. "Yes…or no."

More time passed by, and the room grew hotter. My skin was starting to bubble with the heat. Pieces of my clothing were setting on fire. Any longer with this amount of heat, I would surly die. The younger me had her eyes sealed closed, her hands pressed hard in fists. Her face was masked in a look of pity. The heat spiked up to the extreme. I watched as my skin melted off my bones, specks of white shining through.

The room seemed to spin for a moment then stop with a leap. My stomach lurched. Then three things happened at once: The younger me replied, the room went black, and I puked.

* * *

"Oh hell, no, no, no. Chloe, can you hear me?"

A metallic sound was ringing in my ears. The word "yes" kept repeating over and over in my head. I was confused and an unpleasant taste was left in my mouth. I remembered everything from the weird memory to puking my guts out. The intense heat rising as my skin tore apart from my body. Yeah, all there.

"Chloe, I swear to fuc-"

I waved my hand around in the air to cut off Tori's curse. I really wasn't in the mood for it. I was alive and, as far as I knew, okay. Nothing felt broken except maybe my sanity. The name the younger me had called the strange voice was Astuliap, the same name of the girl popping up in my head. And what had Astuliap meant when she said I had a boyfriend?

The only guys I remembered were Simon and Derek, and although I may have liked Simon at some point in time, I was sure that I didn't anymore. The change of heart happened sometime before that day, too. I didn't remember the day it happened, but I knew after _that_ day I didn't feel any greater urge to rescue him than I did Derek.

And Derek. He was tall, brooding, sometimes scary, and—most of all—my friend. I remember that back then I could actually talk to him. Not all the time, our regular "disagreements" got in the way. But once all was quiet and we had forgiven each other we could talk. Simon, he was good at it, too, but it was different with Derek. He could be my best friend and worst enemy, and that was exactly why he could not be the one Astuliap was talking about.

So I had no idea who could be "the one". Maybe in between my missing memories I met someone new. The perfect guy. One who would protect me and love me. Maybe that was who Astuliap was talking about. If that was the case, then it really stinks that I can't remember him.

Or maybe it was all one big hallucination. A big dream that smacked me down in the middle of the day. I knew that couldn't be it, but it helped with the calming process. _One big dream. _I was never in that God-awful room with Astuliap, she never said I had a boyfriend, and I never puked up chunky bits. _Yeah, the fowl taste in my mouth? All just part of a big nightmare. _All lies that helped just the smallest bit.

"T-Tori?" I asked, breathing deeply. I heard a shuffle of feet then a hand was placed on my shoulder. My lies obviously hadn't reached my heart yet because it was still pounding away. My lounges were ignoring the lies all together to keep me from being able to breathe without gasping for breath.

"I'm here, Chloe. It's okay," She whispered in my ear. Her tone indicated that she was trying to calm me, but that was a lost cause when I heard the tell-tale sound of a sniffle. I wanted so badly to groan and whine about how unfair this stupid life was, but I had to be the mature one. Even when thinking of Tori as the "Older sister" who knew more than me I still had to be the adult like one. She got to cry and pout about life; I got to suck it up and find something to do about it. That's how it always went. She gave advice, told me what to do, talked about how horrible life could be, and I did something to change it. Not to make her sound like a total, you know, bitch, but she had her moments.

"Help me up," I demanded her, feeling woozy. Too much thinking, not enough resting. Too many lies not enough truths. Too many movements not enough sitting. Too much puke not enough breath mints…I could have gone on for a while.

"Uh-huh," I heard her say somewhere in the back of my head. I felt strong arms lift my back off the floor. With the rest of the strength in me I pulled my legs up, and started to walk where she pulled me. Thoughts were running through my mind like wild turkeys on thanksgiving. How come I couldn't remember that memory before…woah, my head hurts…who was my old boyfriend, not that I care…I hope I didn't puke on myself…who did Tori say was here…what plan was Astuliap talking about—in my "dream"…Tori's been working out 'cause, wow, she's strong.

"Chloe, I'm going to set you down on the couch now, okay?" Tori asked.

I tried to nod my head but sharp pain shot through my head when I did. I winced, shooting my hands to my head and squeezing my eyes shut tighter. I felt myself being lowered towards the ground. Lying down on a nice, soft, comfortable, bed sounded great right now, but a couch would do, too.

My body molded to the shape of the cushions, making and odd shape. My legs were curled sideways with my toes stuffed under a pillow. My face was buried into a fuzzy blanket. I wrapped my arms around my body, thinking of Cailey. Was this how she had felt earlier? Like the whole world was caving in on her? If so, she had gained my respect.

Tori whispered to someone in the corner, most likely about me. I tried to block out the sounds of their voices, their annoying, gossiping voices. If they were going to talk about me, then they could at least have the decency to leave the room that I was in.

My hand slinked around the couch for another pillow. My fingers traced overdifferent textures, from soft, to smooth, to rough, I fingers dipped lower and my nail snagged on something fuzzy. I shook my hand lightly and it unhooked, quickly I snatched the pillow and thrust it over the other side of my head. The pillow was meant to block everything out, and it worked for a while. All that there was was the sound of silence. My thoughts were blissfully empty and for a millisecond I thought I might fall asleep. Of course that was stupid of me to think though, because just five seconds later a new voice lifted over my pillow shield.

"Mornin' sunshine, time to wake up!"

"Go away Mason," I groaned into my blanket.

Not even considering what I had said he shouted, "Chloe, I have a surprise! Get out of bed…I mean couch!"

I removed my pillow from my head. Strands of hair were lying in front of my eyes, huffing, I blew them up which only resulted in them landing right back in front of my eye. Giving up I combed my hair back away from my face and behind my ear. The pounding in my head had eased up slightly so I took the next step: I sat up.

I looked around a few times taking in the room. I noticed Tori with her guest—who she could have just said was Kit—sitting at the kitchen counter eating with their heads hunched close, talking in hushed tones. My name came up in their conversation a few times, but I didn't bother with it. I found Mason standing in front of my and Tori's flat screen TV with a dumb grin on his face.

I granted him with a glare that probably looked better in my head. I wagged my pointer finger and whisper-shouted, "You, mister, are in so much trouble." I took another uneasy glance over to Tori and Kit. They were still emerged completely in their conversation. I sighed, looking back to Mason.

He gave me a sweet, innocent look. Uh-_uh_. Nope, not falling for that. Though, something in my head said I would; that I had before. He tilted his head and opened his eyes wide before he said, "Why, Chloe, whatever could you mean?"

Oh, he was just playing my strings. He knew exactly what he had done. Barging in on my session with Cailey like that. "Mason, don't you start with me! I've had it with your inability to follow rules," I shouted not remembering the company of two others just a room over.

"Chloe, if I followed rules, do you really think I'd be dead?" He smirked at me then added, "Be right back, gotta' get your surprise!"

I fumed at the nerve of that boy. He was more frustrating than anyone I had ever met, and that was saying a lot since I had lived with Tori for seven years. He was arrogant and stupid and…now I'm rambling, again. I let out a little shout of frustration while covering my mouth with my hands. I took a sharp intake of breath and let it out long and hard.

"Chloe, are you alright?" I removed my hands from my face and stared up at the man standing in the doorway to the kitchen.

"Yeah, Kit, I'm fine. Uh, how are you; I haven't seen you in a while." I did my best to put on a sweet hostess smile while I smothered my hair down to my back.

"I'm good, I think," he paused, thinking, nodded, and then started again, "but you aren't. C'mon Chloe, I raised two boys, I can tell when you're lying." He raised his eyebrow and gave me the _look_. I felt like I was thirteen all over again, and had just been caught staying up late to watch _Pirates of the Caribbean _for the fifth time. I fidgeted in my seat not looking him in the eye fully.

"Chloe," he warned. From behind him at the table I heard Tori snicker into a cup off coffee. My cheeks became Tomatoes, and I looked intently at my lap. A chair screeched against the floor boards and I heard the soft pitter-patter of feet crossing the room. I looked up again to find Tori standing beside Kit with her arms crossed, and a smug grin dancing on her lips.

"Yes, Chloe, why are you lying?" she asked in a teasing tone.

"I'm not," I tried to insist.

"Chloe were not as stupid as you think we are," Tori accused.

"I don't think you're stupid!"

"Chloe, just tell us what's wrong. I promise I won't get mad." Kit's voice sounded like it was talking to a three year old and Tori laughed harder. This made my nerves rocket and my stutter hit.

"I-I'm s-so confused. I r-remembered something today. A-Astuliap was th-there and then the g-ghosts on the way home. Mason and h-his surprises—getting me even m-more confused! I-I just want it to stop," I cried out letting me feeling drip from my mouth. My stutter hadn't let me get everything out but I think they got the gist. They both had worried looks on their faces and I wanted to scream at them to stop. Being worried wasn't going to help!

Then, just to add the sprinkles on top of the sugar, Mason popped back in.

"Hey, Chloe, I want you to meet someone very special to me…" He waged his eyebrows and shook his head to a spot across the room. I looked over and in a blind spot with a blurred light, a figure came in.

* * *

_**A/N: **_**Hey there! Hope you guys liked this. I loved the amount of reviews I got last time, and without sounding like a crazed review obsessed maniac I would like to ask if you think that it would be possible to reach 100 reviews in this chapter? Or at least close? If that's too much to ask I understand. Also any criticism really helps me write better! **

**P.S. if anyone wants to see Chloe's dress from her flashback/dream thing its posted in my profile.**


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N: **_**Hey guys! Thanks for all the lovely reviews, they mean **_**so **_**much to me (If you have your own story you understand). Anyway, on to the shout outs!**

**To **_**Tumblechick13, BexxiiBoo, readeatsleep, Dawn War, moon-called-princess (;D), xrubyx,**_**and**_** BeachBallofLove, **_**Thanks for the reviews, you guys are all tremendously splendid!**

_**Shiningspirit: **_**Thanks for the review! The person will be revealed in this chapter (read below to find out.)**

_**aStromatMidnight: **_**Thanks for the review! No, Chloe doesn't remember what happened, kind of like she has selective memory loss. I think that's what you were trying to ask, sorry if not. **

_**Murry-2012**_**: Thanks for the review! Read below to find out who it is! Oh, and sorry that it was confusing, it think it had to be that way.**

_**Suzi1811: **_**Thanks for the review! Are you sure Chloe made a deal with a demon? I'm not sure, maybe she did *shrugs shoulders and grins* Was Chloe really being stupid by making the deal though, that is if she made a deal with a demon? I wish she would remember about Derek, too, that would make writing this so much easier! I wonder…who is Astuliap? So read below to find out who it is! **

_**EmeraldGreyClouds: **_**Thanks for the review! I love that you love the plot, that was my goal!**

_**ChumChumMizzyLover: **_**Thanks for the review! Thank you for all the good compliments! Derek and Chloe will meet sometime (I'm saying this not to give away exactly when.) Sorry for not letting them meet, hopefully they will soon!**

_**FireflyBlizzard**_**: Thanks for the review! The line "skittish as a kitten" was actually stolen from Kelley Armstrong, so I can't take any credit for it no matter how much I want to! Hmm, I wonder who Astuliap is too…although, of course, I already know.**

_**bookfreak: **_**Thanks for the review! I'm sorry it was so confusing, but glad you loved it! Derek and Simon are closer than you think and this is a Chlerek story so don't worry!**

_**shadowbladeandcookies: **_**Thanks for the review! Thanks for the link to her site; I had actually never seen it so that helped! Ha, Derek and Chloe are will meet in time. **

_**Disclaimer: **_**I own nothing!**

* * *

"L-Liz?" The room was silent except for the sounds of appliances mumbling whispers around the room. I was standing frozen solid. My wrists to my elbows locked, throwing the keys away. My face was trapped in the same position, forever to hold a look of amazement and surprise.

From behind me, off to the corner near the entrance of the kitchen, two bodies stood just as shocked and still as mine. The world stopped spinning and my eyes jumped. Liz, the ghost I thought I would never see again, was back.

She looked the same as she did seven long years ago. Not a hair on her head had grown, nor had she changed her silly-childish outfit. The mere fact that she was still sixteen worked as an instant stress reliever. Like two five-hundred pound sand bags had been lifted off my shoulders. Liz had been one of my only friends from way back that stuck with me all the way, all the time—not including when I told her she was dead; that was a special circumstance. I was always able to count on her no matter what. She had always had my back.

Her eyes scanned the entire room, glancing at every detail, taking in every object. For a while she seemed to be in her own world. Her eyes were glazed, and nobody moved, all of us engrossed in our own thoughts. Minutes danced by, everyone silent. This was the first absolute since I had been in in a while. Liz had an awe-held look on her face, still taking in the room and mumbling phrases under breathe. Mason stood still taking in his girlfriend's reaction with curiosity and waves of nerves. I peered at her, wondering how long she would stay in her state of non-response; and just as I was testing my legs, seeing if they would walk me over to her, she started to scream out in a very un-Liz like way.

"Oh-no! No, no, no, this is bad!" She looked at me with glowing eyes. "Oh-no."

At that second something hit me, like a blast of cold air. I was frozen, locked, motionless—unable to move. The very most I could do was explore the room with my eyes, no words would fall from my mouth nor could any of my fingers tremble from my frightened position. So with the power of my eyes I took a chance to glance back at Tori and Kit. They were giving each other looks. Obviously they hadn't actually seen Liz, in all her glory, but for some reason they stood just as still and paralyzed as me. This would make sense for Tori, to some extent. They had been best friends at one point, and hearing me shout her name might have shocked her into a stand-still. But for Kit to be an exact mirror of us was undeniably strange. Kit had never even meet Liz while she was living. Surely sometime in between _that_ day and the day my memory disappeared we had talked about her, even if all he had heard was snippets, he would still understand enough to be a little psyched, but a reaction this strong was…disturbing. It made me feel like I was missing even more than I knew I already was.

All I wanted was to be able to take a deep, relaxing breathe, and gush over seeing my old friend; too many thoughts were rumbling through my head, though.

Liz looked back at me long enough to mutter another, "Oh-no," before resuming her frantic eye searching and panicking.

I wasn't sure why she was so panicked. It must have had something to do with why she hadn't contacted me in so long, but for what reason? Was it just fear of seeing me again? Had I done something terrible to her during my blank spots? Was it why Tori and Kit's eyes widened in terror and their words tripped themselves when I mentioned trying to contact her?

With a shake of her head and a roll her eyes Tori broke her spell first. She rushed to me with her eyes gleaming in insanity. I wanted to cringe away from her mad looks, to hide somewhere far away, but still in my locked form, I couldn't. She grabbed my arm roughly, shaking me. After noting that I wasn't going to respond she nodded her head and moved her fingers down to my pulse. She rested two cold, pale fingers on a spot on the crook of my elbow and counted. One minute down she snatched her fingers from my pulse and trailed her left middle finger down the length of my arm. Her fingers were cold and usually the hairs on my arms and neck would have stood up, but they stayed just as frozen as the rest of me. This was evidence enough for Tori, who was retreating back to Kit with a little smile tugging at her mouth.

She stood tall and proud next to Kit and leaned in, whispering soft words into his pink ear. Mason was left standing next to the couch, watching the whole scene play out. A look of confusion evident on his face. I think he probably wanted to help with something, but was caught in between that and not knowing what to do. A few times as Liz stumbled by him while pacing he reached a long stringy arm out to her, but she either didn't notice it or choose to ignore it because he ended up settling it right back down next to him every time.

Minutes passed. I stood still, locked from my knees up. Tori and Kit searched for something that was for some reason just outside of their path, Liz kept up with her barrage of "Oh-no's" and worried looks shot directly at me, and Mason slowly but steadily regained his composer. My mind wandered, drifting and shifting. I knew I should move. Calm Liz or help Tori and Kit with their searching. I didn't like being useless but my legs were locked. I think somewhere in my head I was the one not letting myself move. I wanted to move, but also I didn't. Like there was two of me standing in my head fighting over what I should do. Or at least that would explain the crashing _boom boom boom_in my head.

I didn't jump when a loud shout came from the kitchen. My locked body didn't allow it. Instead, I watched as Tori came running into the room waving a crumpled sheet of paper in her fist. Kit met her half way coming from the opposite side of the house. He came to a sudden stop when he saw what was in her hand.

I wanted to know what it was. Maybe run over and steal it from her hands, but that was impossible due to my internal conflicts. So I watched.

Mason took an interest, too. He gave up following his girlfriend with wondering eyes and neared them leaning over their shoulders peering at the paper. His eyebrows scrunched together making little creases in-between. His eyes squinted, forming perfect slants and after a few seconds his mouth made an "O".

Tori jabbed her finger at different spots along the page and I wanted so badly to know, I almost broke out of my trance. Because that's what this was: a trance. I realized that with my eyes suddenly cast downward. The original shock of seeing Liz had defiantly worn off. Now I was just standing like a freak, frozen. Yes, a trance. My head had me all twisted and this is where it put me. Broken down, drowning in thoughts, in a trance._ Kind of like the ghosts, when I accidentally throw them back into their bodies. _

Words were said in the room, back by Tori and kit and Mason. I choose to ignore them. My brain wouldn't comprehend them anyway, to much clutter to understand. But ignoring them was the wrong choice.

A tight hand like grip tightened on to me making my breathing become shallow and my face to heat. My spine was straightened out and my legs reached their full potential. The grip had me trapped more than my trance.

I wanted to shout and scream, demand to be let go, but of course I couldn't. I was bound and in a trance…stuck… bound…_binding spell. _Tori.

I had the urge to growl and spit at her which was very unlike me. But a binding spell? I wasn't doing anything wrong, not anything right, but nothing wrong. My eyes flicked around the room hunting for Tori. I found her standing parallel to Kit across the room. They both had their hands raised. Kit was murmuring words under his breath with his eyes loosely fastened closed while Tori had her eyes wide open, grinning smugly. She looked one hundred percent sure of herself and I guess that was why she took the time to wink at me.

Then, it happened. My brain cleared. Slowly, yet it happened all the same. It felt like water leaking out of my ears. Like my problems and worries were just flowing down the drain. All my muscles loosened and the invisible grip—binding spell—tightened. I found the second person in my head that had been arguing over what I should be doing, being drug away by heavy, metal bars. My trance slipped and I was free. A golden haze fell over the world and I felt calm.

My face fell into a small smile of sorts and I counted. One worry slipped away—see ya. Two worries slipped away—later losers. Three worries, then four, then five. At ten it stopped.

"Tori, I think that's enough," Kit spoke from his corner.

I gave him a laid back smile and rolled my eyes liking the way it felt. I tried to move my thumbs to give him two thumbs up but they set motionless against my thigh. This didn't alarm me but did send me into a world of confusion before I remembered about the binding spell. For some reason not known to me I found this funny, really funny.

It started out as a giggle, small, almost silent, then it warped into something else altogether. It became a torrent of laughs and giggles and high pitched squeals. I couldn't contain myself and I didn't want to. I didn't see a need to. Words like peace, and mellow, and _hallelujah_ came to mind and I had to biggest urge to scream them out. I was tempted.

"I think the spell worked a little too much," Kit pointed out with a worried tone.

I shushed him by saying, "Nah, nah, Kit. Just stay happy, it's all good."

Apparently this didn't reassure him because he still had his "this is bad" look on, kind of like silly Liz. But there was no reason for that. Everything was fine…flowers and kittens.

"No, Kit, I think she's fine. If she was like this more often then maybe we'd have a little fun around her. Isn't that right, Chloe?"

I nodded my head loosely. "Yes sir! C'mon, Kit, just mellow out, smell the flowers, feel the air!" I shouted the last part to the world. My head slung back and my eyes rolled once more. On their way around my socket I saw Mason sitting on the couch looking amused.

"What, Massie? Where's your girliefriend?" I asked him. He shrugged his shoulders with a worried glance at the hallway. He was about to get up but I nodded my head and shouted, "Lizzie where are you!" before he could take a step up.

When no one answered I called again, "Elizabeth Delany! Your boyfriendie is here, come and get him!"

Mason shot me a weird look then started to say, "How do you know her last name" but Liz popped in before he had the chance.

I squealed high and tried to race forward and give her a hug, but found myself in a situation, again. This time I tried to break my binding and pull myself out of the spell but I failed. So I optioned to bargain with the devil instead.

"Pssst, hey Tori!" She eyed me and pointed to herself. I nodded and said, "Yeah, you." Her grin widened and she sauntered over to me.

"Hey, Tori. How's it going," I asked with a mischievous smile.

"A hell a lot better than you," she said back.

I frowned at her use of naughty words but dismissed it quickly. "Let's say you take this binding spell off of me?" I asked thinking I was being sly.

Her eyes glinted and she asked, "What's in it for me?"

I thought about this for a while. Nothing in particular came to mind. It was like I had planned this out I just went with the flow. Followed the current. Just kept swimming, swimming, swimming…

"Alright that's enough."

My head snapped up. _Odd, I hadn't realized I had placed it down. _Kit was walking toward me with a stern look on his face. He looked kind of like a school principal, mad and grumpy.

"Tori, we need to do something about this. We can't just let her stay like this and burn up brain cells. The spell was meant to soothe and calm her; help her get her facts straightened. Not to make her act like a five year old." Kit gave her a warning glare, trying to scare her.

"Kit, you just need to chill, right Chloe?" Tori said with her evilly smug grin.

I nodded enthusiastically. Chilling was what Kit needed to do.

"Victoria!"

"Oooh," I hollered. "Tori's in trouble!"

"Shut up!" she screamed at me.

"Bad words, bad words!" I yelled louder and louder each time.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Tori tried to yell over me. That wasn't okay with me though, so I yelled louder.

Then Mason decided to add on to the fun and yell, too. I laughed because this was all too much fun! Liz was repeating "Oh-no" again and to me she sounded like a robot, but that was okay, I liked robots. Mason yelled things towards Lizzie, but I'm not sure what, it was too loud to hear him. The room was filled with noise, everyone screaming on top of each other. I shook my head around letting my hair bounce.

Then all the fun was gone. Kit talked but when I tried I couldn't. Tori and Mason tried to yell again, too, but they couldn't either. No fair, Kit was breaking the rules!

"Now," he started to say, "were all going to behave like adults. Tori, no more bad words. Chloe, just try to stay quite until I can figure this out. I'm going to give you your voices back but if I hear one word out of either of you I'll take them away again…and you'll go to your room without dinner." He peered at both of us. I had a shaken look upon my face because, no dinner? Holy cow! Tori looked annoyed, but that wasn't new for her. She was the _Grinch_, always annoyed by people and things.

Kit walked over to me. He stood, towering above me looking down, "Do you understand, Chloe? No talking. At all." I made a show of keeping my lips closed by folding them up together real bunched up. He nodded approvingly and then moved on to Tori. "Do you, Tori, understand? No more bad words or fighting?" She crossed her arms against her chest. Kit took that as a yes so with a few whispered words the voices of all the people in the room came back.

I hadn't noticed before, but Kits magic spell thingie had worked on Mason and Liz, too. And they were ghosts! He must be really powerful to make a ghost stop talking; they were always yackety-yak-yak-yakking.

"Tori." Tori looked to Kit with her signature grimace. "I want you to reverse the spell. Not all the way, though, just enough to change her back to…normal."

Tori snorted. She sounded like a pig. "Like she was ever nor-"

"Tori," Kit growled. I wanted to say, "bad dog" and them hit him on the head with a newspaper for growling, but I think he would have taken my voice away and then sent me to bed.

"Whatever." She raised her hands and said something in a funny voice. All of a sudden wind was rushing around me. I kind of felt like I was in the middle of a tornado, like Dorothy on her way to OZ_. "Toto,"_ I screamed in my head_. "I won't let that mean ol' wicked witch get you!"_

Wind blew trough my hair and up into my ears. It wasn't a pleasant feeling by any stretch of the imagination and it took all I had to not scream out in pain. It's probably a good thing I was tied up, too, because if I hadn't been, there would have been some fists flying. Not that I would have been able to do any damage. Really, how much damage could a five foot five—closing in on five' six"—one hundred fifteen pound person do?

Valid thoughts like these started to flood back into my brain. Worries number one through ten reappeared and I sulked back, not greeting them as they taunted me. Memories from the past minutes re-entered my brain and I cringed at my stupidity. I couldn't believe some of the things I had said! "Just mellow out?" where had I even gotten that from?

"Alright, Tori. I think that's enough." The air around me froze, then, as Tori dropped her arms, the air flew to the ground.

Kit walked over to me slowly, carefully. "Chloe, are you okay?"

Timidly, I nodded my head. It was a lie. I wasn't okay, not at all. Sure, the spell worked, I was calm—or should I say my head was cleared? But it hurt. A lot. I kept nodding my head hopping that would reassure him, that way there was no further investigation. If he let me be then I could pull myself together and deal with the real problems at hand. Like Liz.

I felt air around me again, this time, though, it was gently caressing my face. I opened my eyes and a few traitorous tears poured down. They traveled the same path that the ones from the younger me from my vision, or whatever it was, had traveled; down my cheek and into my shirt. The only difference being that they didn't dissolve into my shirt, threading themselves into the needlework. But all thoughts of tear-made shirts and gowns were forgotten as I spoted Liz. A sweet sort of breeze followed her as she set her hand on my arm.

I smiled at her, at a loss for words.

"Chloe," she whispered, her sweet, sweet voice cooing before turning grave, "This is real bad." She popped away and reappeared next to Mason.

I was so confused. Why was this bad, this should be good! Liz was back meaning it could only go up from here.

I turned away from her, the spell working its charm, keeping me from getting too messed up all at once. _First things first_, I thought, _get out of Tori's binding spell before I go insane. _

"Tori, would you please take your binding spell off me," I asked in my nicest tone. Some associated it with my "blonde" tone. Not to sound stereotypical or anything though, but, I had no idea why. Sure I was blonde, that was obvious, but I haven't noticed any different tones that blondes take on. Being nice was something I choose to do; it got you places in life.

Tori raised her eyebrow. I tried to imitate her but ended up making what I was sure was some pretty far-fetched faces. She snorted, showing just how unimpressed she was. "What makes you think it was me?" She questioned, perching her eyebrow even farther.

"O-of course it's you. Who else would it be?"

Tori lowered her eyebrow, her eyes softening. I think it was my stutter; she knew I only stuttered now when I was nervous or overwhelmed. "Chloe, think real hard who else has the power to put you in a binding spell." Her voice only held minimum sarcasm and her face was calm; back to her usual Tori self. But her suggestion made me feel stupid. Kit. He was the only other person who could put me in a binding spell…unless Mason had something he was hiding... No, I couldn't think about that. It was Kit, he was the one holding me in this trap.

"Please let me go," I pleaded to Kit. He nodded solemnly.

After a few seconds of quite murmured words I was released.

I instantly fell back, thankfully backwards was the couch. I landed with a_ thud_ that hurt more than expected. I was going to have bruises every where by the end of today.

_Step two_, my head directed, acting on the spell, _figure out this whole Liz problem. _

"Tori, Kit? Could you please come here and have a seat next to me?" I sounded like someone who was in charge; defiantly not someone who just minutes ago was freaking out crying in pain and thinking things like "world peace". But following my command Tori and Kit marched over to the couch and sat waiting for me to go on. When I didn't say anything Tori cleared her throat while absently pickling at her nails, I knew it meant "let's get going" but that was the hard part.

_In control_,my head reassured me. So I started.**

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Thanks for reading! I hope you liked and it didn't make you even more confused! **

_**I am having another fast chapter thing. This time if I can get fifteen (since last time I got ten I about an hour) reviews by tomorrow January 16, 2011 at 8:30 then I will post the next chapter anywhere from 9:00-10:30. So hurry up and get in those reviews, if I don't get enough I'll probably post Monday or Tuesday. **_


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N: **_**Hey guys! I asked for fifteen reviews in my last author note (P.S. does anyone actually read this? Tell me if you do) and I got fifteen, so here's my speedy quick review! Oh, yeah and I just want to add that I was the happiest girl ever today because I got 100 freakin' reviews! A special thanks goes out to **_**FireflyBlizzard **_**for being my one hundredth reviewer!**

**To **_**FireflyDancer, aStormatMidnight,moon-called-princess (;D), Anna, Anonymous, BunnyLover (:D), BlahBlah, Chlerek, and Hungergames-Chlerek-lover, **_**thanks for the reviews, you guys are all enormously awesome-awesome people!**

_**SweetDreamzz3116: **_**Thanks for the review! Chloe will meet Derek at some point! **

_**BeachBallofLove: **_**Thanks for the review! Something bad happened to Chloe, yes. And it might have something to do with the demons deal…wait and see…you might have to wait a while…not sure when it'll come up. **

_**ChumChumMizzyLover: **_**Thanks for the review! Maybe Derek and Chloe will meet this chapter…hmm lets see!**

_**jenaca: **_**Thanks for the review! Something **_**is**_** wrong with Liz, but you'll have to wait to find out!**

_**YourSantaClaus: **_**Thanks for the review! I'm glad you're not confused anymore. When I write I'm never sure if this stuff is making sense to people who don't know how the story's going to end or not. You might find out about Derek soon! **

_**FireflyBlizzard: **_**Thanks for the review! I wonder…why does Liz keep saying "Oh no" read and find out! Derek will meet Chloe soon, have some faith in me!**

_**Suzi1811: **_**Thanks for the review! Okay holy shmokes, this is going to be long! 1) Yes, it's Liz! 2) No, Liz is not Astuliap. 3) Chloe didn't make a deal with a demon, but something like that…but I'm not going to tell you what! 4) What was done to Chloe? Oh, you'll see…sometime. 5) This wasn't as long as I thought it would be!**

_**bookfreak9123: **_**Thanks for the review! 1) I LOVE YOUR ALL CAPS WRITING, IT MAKES THE REVIEW SO MUCH FUNNER! 2) I make plenty of mistakes when writing, I read over my last chapter and I was practically on the floor cringing away from the computer because of how many mistakes I made! 3) Read below to find why Liz says "Oh no". 4) Chloe was caught in a trance, and that's all I'm going to tell you because there is an explanation for it…later on. 5) It might have to do with Derek… 6) Where is Derek? He's sitting out in the rain with Jason for now, or at least until I figure what he's going to do next. 7) She might forgive Derek for leaving her, but who said it was Chloe leaving Derek, what if Derek left Chloe? (Not saying it is though.) 8) Simon will be coming into the picture soon, and if you look closely you might find that he already is. Tori is standing next to Kit somewhere in the house. 9) What I said about Simon applies to Aunt Lauren, too. 10) I don't know if Chloe will ever forgive Aunt Lauren. 11) Will Aunt Lauren approve of Derek? Hmmm… 11) uhhhh, I don't know how to answer that one, next question! 12) They left because…read and find out! 13) Liz was gone because…read and find out! 14) Was Liz not supposed to contact Chloe…what do you think? 15) Liz might know something about Simon, Derek, and Aunt Lauren. 16) What about the pack of wolves? ;D 17) There werewolves, of course there weird. 18) that was a lot of questions.**

**murry-2012:Thanks for the review! Sorry that your still confused, maybe this chapter will help, if not then...uh, just keep waiting! **

_**Disclaimer: **_**I own nothing!****

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Last chapter: _**In control**_**, my head reassured me.****So I started**_**.**__**

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"Tori. Kit." Two pairs of eyes found my face. "Liz. Mason." Two more pairs.

"I'm going to start at the beginning," I said, then corrected myself, "no, I'm going to start where it makes sense." Everyone nodded.

"Alright then, I would like to get trough this with few interruptions. I know I'll have questions when this is over. And so will you, so stay with me." Once again all heads nodded.

"A few days ago, when I was meeting Jen for coffee, I met Mason. Mason is a ghost. He's…seventeen?" I paused, looking to Mason for conformation.

"Pretty much." He shrugged.

"He's an about seventeen year old ghost. He found me in the coffee shop and needed some help, so naturally I helped. No, I didn't know he was a ghost, so yes I was talking to myself." My head folded pages, marked words, highlighted letters, and told me what to say next. "No one saw. Our secrets still safe." Mason tilted his squinting his eyes in confusion. I nonchalantly gave him a look that said "you better not tell on me or I'll tell on you." Slowly he un-tilted his head and moved his eyes to study a plant hanging by the window.

"So that's the first time I meet Mason. Next big thing was today while driving home I saw—what I expect are ghosts—walking around town." I took in their slightly worried looks and kept on, "Remember that big problem with the town sewage like six years ago that killed about twenty workers?" Two heads shook simultaneously. "Well, today, for the first time, I saw the workers. The dead ones. There were so many just wandering around town, lost. Then beside that I saw at least another fifteen ghosts hanging around the park, on the swings, by the pond. Everywhere."

"Oh-no," Liz mumbled.

"When I got home it got, uh well under different circumstances, I would say better, but truthfully it got worse—"

"Why'd you freak earlier?" Tori, being the first one to break her promise, asked.

My head formed sentences, telling me what to say._ First finish one subject, and then move to the next. A before B, one before two_. "That is another issue that I'll come back to later," I told her then with on, "Mason woke me up from my, uh, nap—which might I add, Mason, was very rude. Next time please take a card and wait in line." I frowned at him. "Mason woke me up saying he had a surprise and then Liz showed up." Tori and Kit paled. Kit brought his hand to his forehead messaging his temples while Tori pinched the top of her nose. They both looked eternally disturbed by this and I planned on getting all my answers —or should I say Tori's spell allowed me to plan on getting all me answers?

_Talk to Liz first, _I thought, _she has all the answers. _I tugged at my hair, placing it behind me ear. "Liz?"

She looked up. She was muttering words under her breath a mile a minute. I could see the panic in her eyes, the same sort of panic starting to form in Tori and Kits. She got up from her spot resting against the arm of the couch chair and started pacing around the room with her hands behind her back in a very professional way.

"Liz," I said again, forcing her attention.

Her eyes locked with mine. Crazy wild emotions were running trough them: fear, sadness, panic, and then anger. "What do you want, Chloe!" she snapped at me.

I automatically fought to break the spell that was keeping me from feeling bad about her rage. I wanted to feel considerate of her trouble, but mostly I just felt calm. But possibly that's what I needed.

"Liz I need to know what's bad." I could have started with "I missed you so much," or where have you been," or one of the other many conversation starters, but their was no room for causalities when your spell-bound. You did what the spell told you to, that's the only way to it. And who am I kidding anyway? If she wouldn't answer my crucial questions why in the world would she talk about the weather?

"Chloe, you don't even understand. This is bad!" The panic in her eyes really sunk in making her cheeks tighten and dark lines to form.

"Your right," I said honestly. "I don't understand. And you want to know why I don't understand? Because _you _won't tell me!" I was pretty sure I shouted the last part, but it was kind of hard to tell; the air was so thick a shout could have sounded like a whisper.

Mason got up and stalked over to Liz. He took her arm and pulled her towards him. She looked him up and down with the frantic beating of a dead heart and caved. She stumbled into his arms and embraced him fully. It was a touching scene—seeing someone I used to be so close with happy. Maybe that just goes to show that happy endings are possible—or at least they are for some people.

"Liz, its okay. Take your time," I said dealing with the rush in my head. I wasn't going to be able to get anything out of her while she was in this state of manner. Instead of watching Liz and Mason's personal moment I turned back to Tori and Kit. They were a mirror of each other, showing the same expression.

"Explain." That was all she said and that was all I needed.

"I tried to get Liz to talk and she blew up. She's uh, working things out right now with Mason."

"Alright then while they're busy I have a few questions," Tori said and bent back her pointer finger, letting it rest against her other hand. "First question, Mason's a ghost, right? So he was the first ghost you've seen since, you know, that night in…that night at…"

I understood what she was trying to say. _That_ night, _the_ place, different terms for the same thing. "Yes, Masons the first ghost I've seen since _that _night."

She nodded her head cautiously, wheels turning in her head. I could almost imagine a light bulb hanging above her head swinging back and forth, waiting to be turned on. "Question two. Has anything else happened that you aren't telling us about?"

Oh shoot. "No," I lied. I wasn't sure what to say about Astuliap. I had no idea what she was or where she came from. For all I knew she really was a figure of my imagination, even though I doubted that.

"Chloe cut the crap. I know when you're lying. I want the fucking truth _now._"

"Um, yeah, the truth…" I stalled until I came up with what to do. Option One was to tell her the truth. I didn't particularly like that option but I had to at least acknowledge it. Option Two was to lie. That seemed like the easy option. All I had to do was—

"Chloe, if you don't tell me the truth in about five damn seconds then I will make you, and I think you know what that means," she had a murderous glint in her yes and her hands started to glow green. Tips of sparks formed on her fingers, waiting to leap off onto the nearest person.

She would do it. I was positive about that. In fact, she had done it before. When she got mad or irritated with me she would send me a little zap to the butt. I tried to teach her that that wasn't the mature, adult thing to do, but she didn't give a flip.

"Five, four, three…" she counted down. I made a decision. It wasn't what I wanted, but when you were down to your last two seconds you didn't always get what you wanted.

"Okay, okay, I give! I'll tell you what else happened."

She grinned wickedly.

"So you know when I passed out earlier, back in the hallway?" I took a deep, shaky breath in. "Well, I was I guess you could say "transported" back to the…past. I think it was a memory that I just can't remember," I say slowly and then quickly add, noticing Tori and Kits stricken looks, "But what do I know?" I let out a light, nervous laugh. "It was probably just a dream that I had while I was passed out from too much work."

"Oh-no." Liz was back to mumbling her words with a worried expression. She had her hands in her face covering her eyes.

"Liz, can you tell me what's wrong now?" Kit and Tori gave each other wary looks then got lost in the space of numerous thoughts. Mason rubbed light circles on the back of her shoulder, it was a sweet gesture, but it gave me an odd feeling. I could almost feel the feathery sensation of small circles being drawn on my palm.

"Chloe, I'm not sure she's—" Mason started to say only to be cut off by Liz.

"What did you see." she demanded. The sudden ferocity of her voice scared me as much as a mummified corpse crawling up my back, reaching out with long pointed nails. So mumbling and tripping my way through, I answered her carefully.

"T-the girl. She was there, in the room, I couldn't see her but she w-was everywhere. In the candles, in the air, in my head. She said something about a-a p-plan, I th-think."

Liz ground her teeth, slowly, as to make sure I could here every tooth grinding against the other. Worry played across her face in motions she grimaced, her eyebrows shot skyward, she sniffled a snot-filled moan, her ears turned bright red.

"What. Was. Her name?" In a movie, this moment would be tense filled with suspenseful music. The movie-goers would hold on to their popcorn buckets with cold-nerved fingers and they would slurp down their cola with unease. The screen would be dark, zooming in on my character, showing the expressions that flooded my face and then, as the crowd went silent and the music took a sudden end; my character would whisper one word, "Astuliap."

"Oh-no." She tears from Mason's grip to start her frantic pacing. I, on the other hand, was left annoyed. My head wanted me to think everything out in perfect steps, due to Tori's stupid spell, but what I wanted—me the person inside of my head jumping up and down saying "Woh-hoo over hear!"—was to just be able to let the whole mess explode in my brain, letting me access multiple pieces of information at a time.

But, to my utter disappointment, I worked it out in my head, finding the _logical_ way of thinking. "What do you mean by 'Oh-no', Liz? You've been saying that all night, please, I'm begging you; just tell me what you're thinking!"

A hint of amusement and regret sparkled in her eyes. She walked around the coffee table separating us, stood right up in my face, and said in a whisper so fierce it could have blown full grown trees over, "Chloe, you don't want to know what I'm thinking. I know that as a fact—accounting on the part when, oh-so-many years ago, you told me you didn't yourself—but since your so insistent on knowing, how about this? That _dream_ you had? Not a dream, that really happened, and you want to know who you threw all your worries and fears on after that dumb meeting business? Me. That's right me, you told me _every_thing.

"You told me about the plan you made with the Demi-demon. You told me that it was possible that it could go haywire. You even told me that if for some crazy, bizarre reason you lost your memory, then not to try and contact you. You dumped that all on _me_. So here I am, knowing every tiny detail of your missing story, every line of it that you don't, thinking, _this is bad_. And it's bad for _so_ many reasons! You want to hear some reasons, Chloe?"

Silence echoed after her voice. Mason stood captivated by his tuff girlfriend, alone, in a corner, while Tori and Kit watched me with careful eyes.

"Reason number one: The very fact that you can see means that something has gone wrong. Reason number two: You don't remember anything about the plan or your life from before, obviously. Reason number three: Astuliap is going to be seriously pissed. Probably at you. Reason number four: I'm the only one here that knows _every_thing. Reason number five: My stupid boyfriend is friends with my necromancer friend. Reason number six: You lost your memory, so I screwed up and did something I shouldn't of and when you remember again you're going to be really mad at me." She started out strong, slowly losing confidence and ending in a miserable tone.

"Liz," I started to say.

"No Chloe. Just don't." She looked around the room. Her eyes rested on Tori and Kit. She closed her eyes softly then opened them with a new passion. "Chloe, I want you to ask Tori and Kit about the plan. Don't let them shrug it off, make sure they tell you everything." I nodded my head cautiously, not sure what else to do. "Mason, you're coming with me."

Then she stomped over to Mason, grabbed his arm with a cobra-tight grip, and left in a wink.

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_**A/N: **_**Hope that answered some questions! Read and review please!**


	11. Chapter 11

_**A/N: **_**Hey! So it has been a while but I'm back. Now while I was finishing the edits on this I was watching Peter Pan and I just wanted to share that! Let's see, I wanted to ask all of what you think about my writing. Do you think it's improved? Gotten worse? Please tell me, and also tell me what you think I could improve upon DON'T FORGET TO TELL ME IN A REVIEW! Anyway, on to the shout outs…**

**To **_**readeatsleep, moon-called-princess(;D), Dawn War, Lulubelle09, FireflyDancer, ChumChumMizzyLover, SweetDreamzz3116, Bookninja15, Anna, Katie Black15, xxRUBYxx,**_** and**_** Sara **_**thank you all for the reviews, you guys are all the most amazing people in the whole flip-a-dipping world!**

**_murrey-2012:_Thanks for the review! Derek will be coming back…well, why don't you just read and find out? Okay. **

**_bookfreak9123: _Thanks for the review! 1) Your list of reasons were very long…made me dizzy. 2) What if I said Chloe's missing memory wasn't **_**just **_**about Derek? 3) Astuliap is going to be mad at Chloe because of reasons that will be discovered later! 4) The plan was a very thought out idea that Chloe put into action with help from others. 5) Knowing Tori and Kit, do you think they will try to avoid Chloe's questions? Hmm, maybe. 6) Derek is doing really, really…not going to tell you! 7) Derek doesn't go after her because he doesn't know where she is, her scent stops off at the end of the road, how do you suppose he goes after her? 8) Maybe some kind of magic is keeping him away, not sure… (But of course I know what's keeping him away), 9) I can't answer that; you'll just have to read and find out. 10) Does Derek ever visit Chloe? No. 11) What about Cailey? 12) Does Cailey know about the wolves? No 12) Cailey's powers are…read closely, I think I've said it before. 13) Uh-no. 14) I think I answered all your questions if not than ask them again! **

**_FireflyBlizzard:_ Thanks for the review! There might be some Derek in this…read on! **

**_suzi1811_: Thanks for the review! Your review made me laugh…keep being funny and guessing all my tricky-tricks!**

**_BeachBallofLove_: Thanks for the review! I know the Demi-demon deal is confusing but I think I really had to put it in, sorry! Derek and Chloe will meet soon, but if I have them meet right away then there would be no story.**

_**Disclaimer:**_** I do not own Darkest Powers.****

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**(Jason Pov)**

"Bro, you've really got to get up." Sam tried for the umpteenth time to get Lucas—uh, err, I mean Derek—into the house. I've got to admit that this whole Lucas-not-really-being-Lucas thing was creeping the bejeebers out of me. I mean, you think you know a man, like _really_ know a man, and then he cracks the bomb on you and _boom_ everything's different. Not to sound like a girl or anything but you just cant do that. Relationships are built on honesty…or some other crap like that.

"C'mon, man, let's go inside. My hairs all wet and if I stay out here any longer I'm going to be forced to shake it dry like a dog." This at least earned me a snort. And from Lucas—no, Derek—that was as close to a laugh as you could get when he's in a sketchy mood like this.

Really nothing new was happening; I had gotten April to call Sam after a few minutes of staring at Derek with my mouth hung open, catching flies, from his confession. Sam had come rushing over in his "artistic" car—really it was just a car with different pieces of his art spray painted on. So Sam got out of his car, he took one look at Derek, and he did this weird thing with his hands and I go flying back a few feet. Not that it hurt me, because it didn't, but I never knew he could do that. Yeah, Derek was forgetting to tell me a lot of things: his brother being a sorcerer was just one of the many.

"Derek, man, this whole situation is scaring the hell out of me," I said not trying to make light of the situation. "It's making me go insane. But I'm still your Beta and I care about you, man. So right now I'm strongly _suggesting_ that you get up and walk your ass inside."

Sam gave me a once over. I didn't like the way he was suddenly looking at me. Like he thought this whole thing was my fault. Which, to some degree, I could say that this thing was my fault. Derek did get a whiff of this Demi-Chloe girl off of me. Mostly he got it off Cailey…but I'll take part in the blame for this. I told Sam that, too. I think that might have been partly why he eased up on the spells. I didn't try to pull the blame on someone else; I took responsibility for my actions.

So Sam, ever-so-graciously, allowed me to take the reins, doing the exact same thing he had done seconds before. I don't know if he thought I was going to do it better or what, but let me tell you, it didn't help anything. In the end we were still left outside, by the gravel filled, pot hole packed road, pissing our pants trying to get him to move.

So, taking a break while I waited for Derek to do…anything, I listened in on the people safely tucked away inside. I could hear the big mahogany grandfather clock go off, signaling the new hour. A few snores whistled softly, which was reasonable for this time of night, but a higher number of _creaks,_ due to the constant movement of two-hundred plus pound werewolves, were going off around the house than usual. I could only guess that was because of Derek. Everyone was sitting on the edge of their seats because the Alpha wasn't acting to standards. And when the Alpha started to act off, people freaked.

The amount of freaking out was probably also intensified here by about ten degrees because of past experiences. Something similar—using the term similar _very_ loosely—happened to the last pack Alpha and that's how we lost him. It was just plain luck that we had found Derek before…

Well, let me just say, when a pack doesn't have a leader, things take a turn for the worse.

I zeroed back in on the house and allowed my acute hearing to drift me into different conversations. A tiny voice stood out from the rest. It would whisper words and laugh lightly, but I could hear the fear behind it all. The voices around it would croon and bend to its every word. Love filled the voices that soothed, but worries penetrated the last notes.

A scuffle of footsteps had me turning to look at the house. My body was held strong as I locked eyes with a little girl. Soft brown hair attached to a round face that jutted out with concern stared back at me. Her lips formed words so soft that they could have been mistaken as the wind blowing. She said, "Daddy, please come back."

I feared that her plea would be passed over with out a second glance. Derek was so completely consumed with his other problems that the world had faded black to him.

That was why when I heard the rough voice of my leader speak up, I was surprised. The words were low, barley comprehendible, a replica of his daughters. Lowly and maybe only to himself, he growled out, "I'm going."

Sam scuttled back over to my side hearing what he questioned might actually be his brother speaking up after such a long silence. He had left to pace the edge of the forest, muttering words and kicking balls of dirt. Derek was still crouched down, but now he had his head held high. His eyes had a faint hint of redness and his face was caked with dirt. He was transfixed on the window that Cailey had just stood at, his body turned to the side to allow him a better view. Though occupied by his thoughts and incessant searching of the window for whatever he was so expectant to find, his left hand absently traced pictures into the dusty old dirt road.

His face ashen white, he kept searching the window. Sam, as the go-happy optimistic guy he was, was taking the movement of him drawling and turning it into a "good sign." Apparently if Derek is drawling than, wooop-di-do, the world was going to be alright after all. I on the other hand, knew better. In one of the metal health books April checked out from the library, I had read a passage clearly stating that you can draw, write, and even sometimes talk while not being in a completely mentally stable state of mind. Its just like sleep-walking, its possible to drive while sleeping, talk to another person while sleeping, or make yourself a sandwich all while sleeping; that meant it was very possible that Derek was drawling while still in the sort of depression type condition.

I tried to get this through Sam's thick head but he was just as stubborn as Derek and he refused to listen. So, instead of giving up like we both should of a little more than a millennia ago, we sat talking to each other, sometimes to Derek, and came up with our own decipherings of the dirt drawn picture.

"Maybe it's a sign or logo," Sam suggested, "The heart could be the pattern and the S could be a brand name…"

I stared at him dumbfounded. The picture that Derek had drawn, and was now retracing, was a heart with four arrows through it at and right smack dab in the middle of it all was a capitol "S". I didn't seem very likely to me that the Alpha of the Syracuse pack would draw anything in the dirt except maybe an escape plan, defiantly nothing as simple and, let's face it, stupid as a logo with a heart in it. "What brand, Sam? Because, I don't know about you, but I've never in my entire life seen a brand name that looked like this."

Sam shrugged, trying to act all nonchalant, his voice low and face downward watching Derek's moving hand he muttered, "I don't know…"

"No, no, I've got it! I'll bet you have a million dollars it means Superman! Derek always did love watching those reruns with Cailey. Right Derek? That's what your drawling, Superman."

Sam didn't respond to my comment. For minutes it was quite. The wind blew, rain poured, dirt was turning to mud as the puddles grew larger. In a matter of hours this little sprinkle was going to be turning into as full blown storm. But maybe with a little more rain I could get the dirt from my face and cloths.

Out of sheer boredom I started to puff my cheeks in and out. With my right hand I stirred the dirt around, mixing it together. _Swipe, _I smear the dirt under my eyes giving me the macho-tough quarter back look. _Swipe swipe,_ I took two more swabs of dirt and rubbed them down my cheeks.

"So you found out?"

I looked up. "About what?" I knew what he meant. About Lucas being Derek. Yes, I knew all about that, all about the little lying game he'd been playing.

"About Derek." It didn't make sense that he would lie to me, to our whole pack. Why would he have to any way, we could be trusted…at least most of us could. Travis might let it slip accidentally; he wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed.

"Uh-yeah. He told me."

Sam huffed loudly. "That's just like him. He'll get on me about it everyday, 'don't tell anyone,' 'don't forget,' then he goes and blows it himself. You hear that Derek? This time it's _your_ fault."

I really didn't know what to say to that. Every time I had seen the two brothers together they were playing around, two happy guys joking, kidding. Never had I seen them mad at each other—no, I take that back, I had seen Derek mad, Sam was the one that never got angry.

We spent that next five minutes silent again. The wind, picking up, had my head bobbing as it whistled in my ear and blew a gust rain. Water from the blow flew into my eyes rendering me blind for seconds that seemed too long. I raised my right hand to clear them and when I opened them slightly, peeking through the bottoms of my eyelashes, the symbol in the dirt was gone and Derek was rushing into the house, Sam throwing himself up, wobbling behind him.

_Well, shit. What did I miss?__

* * *

_

The inside of the house was warm and inviting. It cleared my head and shook my body with love, okay maybe that was an exaggeration, but it felt seriously good after being out in the that damn rain for so long. From the entrance where I was standing the house was lit brightly and sounds of voices pounded through the walls. With a flash of the eye I watched as Sam rounded the corner into the living room, then with a, _thump-thump,_ bound up the stairs. His footsteps made my head ache more with each pound of the steps. _I swear he has the loudest walk ever. _

I whipped my head to the side, shaking water on a nearby picture frame and kicked off my shoes dirtying my hands with mud. My shirt was the next thing that went, leaving me to hope that my pants would soon follow—because they were wet, not for the _other_ reason. Though, getting some action wouldn't be that bad. I had had a long day and I was already so close to the bedrooms… With a few words I could be locked away in a room, with the love of my life, living the paradise…

But it was wrong to be thinking that. My best friend just told me he was a different person and then he freaked and then he ran to go do who-knows-what…actually, maybe I do need some—_no_, stay focused.

I ran into the bathroom next to the biggest pantry of the house—altogether we had three. If I was quick I could make this a two-stop trip. With a speed faster than I knew I could attain, I washed my face with scolding hot water, dragged a towel from the cabinet to _dry_ my face, and jogged to the room next door and grabbed five granola bars plus a Gatorade to extinguish my unforgivable stomach pains, and finished my great feat by scaling the stairs in under five seconds.

I followed the trail of scents to the room in the very far back; all while plowing down my granola and downing the Gatorade in two gulps. The door was painted royal blue from the top to the bottom and tiny stars hung from the doorframe, making the entrance look mystic and magical; a fitting response for the kid that lived inside of it.

A blast of emotions hit me as I strode through the door, causing me to stumble back exactly three and a half steps before rushing in again, with a curious head. Almost everyone was huddled in the large room around a small perimeter of ten feet. At the center of this all was Cailey, in her _SpongeBob SquarePants _nightgown, letting tears spill over her cheeks, squeezing a small cut.

Derek was next to her holding her shoulder with a grip so tight that it would have left finger prints on any regular human. His eyes were searching her face with wide eyes taking in her shaken form. She curled back against him, turning her face into his muscled chest and started to pool tears there instead. His immediate response was to pull her chin up and demand to know what happened.

It came out in a wavy curve of stutters and gasps but she managed to say, "I-I was w-watching…movies with April and D-Dale and …" She took another big gulp of air and restarted, "And I got up t-to see you and w-when I came back to the c-couch I tr-tripped over something a-and…" She let her words take a sudden drop as she clutched her arm to her chest.

Bree took a step out of the crowd, closer to Derek. Her lips were pressed into a tight line and wrinkles covered her forehead. Her expression showed just how much we all cared about Cailey.

"Lucas," Bree said, using his false name, not knowing his real identity, "When she tripped, her arm was cut on a piece of glass."

Lucas's head snapped up to Bree. She didn't cower back, she was part of the family, she was use to us wolves and our intimidating looks. "How," he growled while pulling Cailey a little closer to his body.

Her eyes dropped to the floor and she twisted her ankle around in a nervous way. She raised both of her eyebrows and opened her pink lips to start her explanation, but Colton—another pack brother—beat her to the chase.

"It was my fault," he confessed. He put his hand on Bree's shoulder and she stepped back into Dales waiting arms. She settled into his embrace and closed her eyes holding his hands to her heart.

"I was fooling around with Travis when I knocked into Bree," he shot Bree an invisible apology before adding, "she was cleaning at the time and when I bumped her she dropped that vase that Cailey made in first grade." Derek narrowed his eyes at him, waiting for more.

"Cailey heard the crash and came over to see what happened and when I tried to keep her from seeing, she pushed past me and tripped over my feet. She fell right into one of the pieces of glass and that happened." He pointed to the short gash just above Cailey's wrist.

Derek moved from his spot cradling Cailey, to having her laid down on the bed with her arm held out for him to see. He inspected her body listening in on her heart beat, feeling for bumps or bruises, until he came to his decision. He turned his head slightly, motioning for Sam, and said two things: "Get" and "Lauren."

Sam rushed out of the room, following orders from the person he had been so irritated at only minutes before, pushing past people and thudding down the stairs. I heard the door _whoosh_ shut from downstairs, and then his loud pad of feet fumbling down the pathway to the little house behind the garden.

The room was silent until he came back. April shouldered her way to my side and took my hand, entwining her long fingers through mine, and stood completely motionless next to me. Derek and Cailey watched each other, Derek smoothing back her hair and Cailey holding on to his arm so she wouldn't loose him.

After a few minutes more of the same motions playing over, I heard the sounds of two people approaching the house and entering loudly. Being the Beta that I am, I could hear better than the rest of the pack, not as well as Derek, but good enough. So the whispered conversation going on between Sam and Lauren was no problem for me, but everyone else would have had to really strain their ears to hear.

"_I don't know what's going on with him. He's acting strange," Sam said. _

"_What do you mean strange?" A woman's voice asked. _Lauren was a relative of Derek. I wasn't exactly sure how they were related but when Derek became Alpha he insisted that she stay with us because of "family relationships." She had refused to actually live in the house with us but was content with the piece of crap shed out back behind the gardens. We remodeled it for her, and since, we barely ever saw her. She was like a hobbit that lived behind our house, no one bothered her and she didn't bother us. Though, occasionally, Joshua or his mate, Stephanie, would see her while picking vegetables or flowers from the gardens. They would say she would sit in a rocking chair on her front porch or wonder her "yard" aimlessly. But we all had strict orders to, "just leave her alone," so we all but forget that she was there most of the time.

"_I don't know, I mean, he sat in the rain for more than two hours and… he said he smelt _her_."_

"_What!" Lauren gasped. _

"_Now Lauren, don't get too excited we—"_

"_Simon, if it's her then we can all go back normal. We can move away and start over again. Forget this whole incident."_

"_No, Lauren, we couldn't. And I don't even really know that it was her."_

_But—"_

"_Shh, no more, they'll hear us."__

* * *

_

_**A/N:**_**Hey guys!** **So I hope you liked. I'm going to do a quick update if I can get 18 (Yes 18 I'm moving up each time) reviews by eight o'clock on Thursday Feb. 3; the update will be anywhere from 8:30 to 10:00. So remember to review and thank the snow because that's what has given me two snow days worth of time to finish this! R&R please!**


	12. Chapter 12

_**A/N: **_**Hey guys, here's your fast update! **

**To **_**aStormatMidnight, tumblechick13, ChumChumMizzyLover, FireflyDancer, roseg8s9512, murrey-2012, SweetDreamzz3116, Kemma, moon-called-princess(;D), KatieBlack15, Anna, BlahBlah, xrubyx, sophie,**_** and**_** XNatsumiX **_**you guys are all brilliant, thanks for reviewing!**

_**FireflyBlizzard:**_**Thanks for the review! They will meet soon, but not too soon…**

_**Bookninja: **_**Thanks for the review! There are a lot of characters to keep track of so I don't blame you. Just assume anyone that you don't remember is part of the pack. Aright Callie is not a half demon, good try though! Think very hard about one of the jokes that'll come up in this chapter and think about what supernatural it would relate to. **

_**Jenaca: **_**Thanks for the review! They'll meet soon, but maybe not too soon…**

_**Suzi1811:**_**Thanks for the review! I find myself loving Jason too, he's a nice break from Chloe…Lauren might know something…but do you really think I'm going to tell you? I'm so sure that stuff on the metal table strawberry sauce…My friend woke me up too early this morning wanting to play in the snow but your review made me smile and also wonder how the hell I got outside… **

_**Obssesssedcrazedbookworm:**_** Thanks for the review! Chloe and Derek will meet soon, but not too soon…****

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**

"_Simon, if it's her then we can all go back normal. We can move away and start over again. Forget this whole incident."_

"_No, Lauren, we couldn't. And I don't even really know that it was her."_

_But—"_

"_Shh, no more, they'll hear us."__

* * *

_

Their voices faded out and their steps got louder. Lauren entered the room with a big black bag in hand and Sam following after. Lauren's eyes grew as she took in the amount of people in the room and she seemed to shrink back a few meters. Sam caught her before she could turn, duck, run, and dart from the room. He pointed to the bed with a stern hand and gave her a shove. She flashed him a scowl with piercing eyes that had me spinning back to her conversation with him before: _"Simon, if it's her then we can all go back normal. We can move away and start over again. Forget this whole incident." _She had wanted to get away from here, from this whole place and never come back. And she had called Sam Simon.

A wave of nausea flew through me as I thought of the more lies Derek had told me. Was anything that he had ever told me the truth, or was it all lies?

Lauren hurried her way up to Cailey, clutching the dark handles on her bag with all her strength. She stood before Derek with a grimace and waited for him to say something.

The seconds ticked on as the air grew thicker. Derek looked to Lauren who presented him with a look of unease and terror. That's when it occurred to me that she must not just be nervous, but scared. Scared of us; of werewolves. I cracked a smile because _really_ she was scared of us? She must have never of met Wood. That man doesn't have a scary bone in his body.

"Lauren," Derek said dryly.

"Derek," she said with as much stiffness as she could muster and then, after averting her eyes to Cailey, "what's wrong with her."

Sam let out a huff of air, pulling his spiked up blond hair back until it looked like the wind had permanently left its mark on his head. All eyes, including Derek and Laurens', secretly turned back to him, gazing at him unsurely. Simon lifted a pointed finger high in the air and, before more than a squeak could leak from his slack-jawed mouth, one of the stronger guys in the pack, Steve, grabbed the collar of his shirt with a tug and sent him sprawling back into the dark purple painted wall. Lauren gasped, unbearable thoughts of the strength of a full grown werewolf so obviously painstakingly new to her, racing through her head with a leaking light, scaring the wit out of her. Her lips trembling, the tips of her hair shaking in her high pony tail sending waves of panic through the air. With a few long steps forward, I put my arms around her waist and carefully walked her to the bed. She shied away from me almost instantly as I released her, stumbling forward with the pull of gravity.

Her white shirt clung closely to her nearly flat stomach tucking into her dark wash jeans, splattered with mud from the sudden storm outside. She flicked at her hair with a shaken finger, letting the light-blue color of her eyes show their unkindness towards the people and wolves in the room. Though, something in those eyes of hers had me thinking; something behind the unkindness of her, more of something that used to be. Like a sense of déjà vu that was running through my bones trying to process the familiarity of the sense jabbing at the back of my head.

Still standing near the bed with my head tilted to the side, I gave Derek a once over. He was looking at Lauren with somewhat of an internal sadness peeking towards being external. His grip on Cailey had no sooner loosened than he had given a growl to urge Lauren along.

The dark wood of the bed frame creaked as Lauren ever-so-hesitantly sat on Cailey's diamond patterned sheets. The joints in Laurens knees popped picking Cailey's interest. Cailey's eyes swam open towards her and then dipped low as she saw who it was. "Grandma Laurie?" Cailey whispered as a quite question.

Laurens eyes clouded, fogging with an unclear mist. "Y-yes dear."

The relationship between Lauren and Cailey was nonexistent. Maybe, at one point of time, their relationship could have been strong and was, but that quickly ended. Strange talk on Laurens part first started the rift. Then, as time went on, Derek stopped taking Cailey down the long path to Laurens house. By the time the visits completely ended Cailey was only six months old. Though Cailey wasn't aloud to see Lauren, we had her keep up the falsehood that she went to "Grandma Laurie's" everyday after school, instead of coming home to a group of (mostly guy)human monsters. Long story short, Cailey's relationship with Lauren was a complete and utter lie. But a lie that everyone believed, it was.

"Her arm. Fix it," Derek demanded not allowing a conversation between the two. And with that incentive, all words were stopped.

The bag Lauren held so tightly was peeled from her shoulder and set down onto the bed with a _rattle-tattle-rattle _of medicines and tools. With the added noise to the room I took the chance to step back with a few creaks of the floor to April and her long arms ready to embrace mine. Her soft voice in my ear whispered, "You're a good person you know?"

A cocky grin slid onto my face and my eyes lit up like a fire set in a puddle of gasoline. "Not as good as you," I teased back.

She walked her fingers up the length of my arm making circles on my shoulder with her middle finger. She deliberately breathed out right next to my ear knowing what the simple scent of her breathe could do to me. And reacting to her slight kidding my body became as still as ice, waiting for more.

Soft footsteps tapped around the room but when a soft hand with smooth nails found its way to the top of my pants playing around near the bottom of my stomach all the sounds of others disappeared. _Not the time, _I fought with myself, but I couldn't help but react to her teasing. So, with my free hand—the one not clenching and unclenching—I moved my hand to her side and traced lightly the curve of her waist up to the fold of her bra and as light as air, followed the pattern of it causing her hand to play a little lower.

"Sexing right now? I guess you really can do it anywhere." Lightening quick I snapped my hand back and shot my head around to see a grinning Dale. His eyebrows were arched high and his eyes hinted at humor. "Seriously?" he asked once more.

April removed her hand from my waist and with little growling from me she sat her head upon my shoulder, smiling right back at Dale. "Dale, honey, we all know _you_ do _it_ everyday, everywhere: in the car, in the living room, in the kitchen. We all have ears. I'm sure it's not that much of a surprise to you that it can be done anywhere." His face turned red and he stepped back a few steps to Bree who was oblivious to the conversation to low for her mundane ears. "Don't worry Dale, we understand. The tiger just can't be contained can it?"

Snickers sounded from around the room from all the wolves. The red faced Dale just slunk back pulling Bree with him, scowling at anyone who looked his way, and then left with a hurry. From the bed a ways away Derek grunted at something. That, of course, caught everyone's attention and reeled them in like a group of fish trapped in a net. We were all once again caught up in the spiraling events of Lauren.

There on the corner of the bed, she sat with her eyes bugging out from her pale, round head. Her head went up, down, up, down, up, down in robotic motions like seen in movies were zombies were made to be controlled by one person. Derek, on the other hand, had his lips pressed into a tight line and Cailey looking up at him with a star struck gleam. Decisively, Lauren took a deep breath in settling herself then declared, "I'll see what I can do." She then smiled sadly at Cailey, an almost not forced gesture.

The newly professional Lauren bent over Cailey, curving her smallish hand over the length of Cailey's forehead. Derek didn't loosen his grip or allow Lauren the comfort of having elbow room, but that didn't stop Lauren from doing her job. She grabbed Cailey's arm and peered at the cut. It was bright red, with blood streaming down it from the sides. The sheets rumpled up against Cailey were all splayed with red goo and dried with the crusted version. Along the two ends of the cut her skin was already starting to heal over the wound. But in the middle, pieces of glass still jutted out of her pale olive skin.

Lauren poked the glass with a needle once, testing out its hold. Cailey whimpered, yet forced herself to watch every movement and choice Lauren made. Derek tried to persuade her to look at him, not her arm, but it was to no avail. Cailey was adamant to watch Lauren prod her arm with a needle whether it hurt her or not. Derek wasn't so excited to see his daughter be turned inside out though. He cringed whenever that tiny voice shouted and he murmured soft words of encouragement when necessary.

The lights pulsed too bright, the heater blew too hot, and the cries of pain grew too loud. With April back to being her G rated self my mind had time, and the capacity to think—more like worry—about all the crap that had happened today. Thoughts of Derek and Sam being completely different people penetrated my mind as I tapped my foot with impatience. What if now that their cover was blown they changed everything? What if the new Derek wasn't the same?

April tried relaxing me by tracing a finger up and down my arm, giving me chills that made the little hairs on my arm stand. The gesture reminded me of the moments earlier with the hand tracing and the…I tapped my foot louder, feeling the beat of the rhythm pulse through my body. Lauren's hand matched the sound of my jumping foot. _Bump_, poke._ Bump_, poke. _Bump_, poke. _Bump_… "Derek, leave."

"What? No." Derek responded quite forcefully.

Everyone in the room woke up from the sleepy daze they were in at the sound of his voice and stood a little taller. My foot tapping took a sudden stop, leaving my leg wobbly. April pressed a hand against my back in a way that helped me stay intact with the ground and not going tumbling into the air, most likely face first.

"Yes, Derek. Now," Lauren insisted not budging. Cailey edged away from both of them rolling up her knees, leaning back against her white swirled bad frame. She reached her arm that wasn't being held by Lauren out to her dad and tugged at his hand with slim fingers. "Daddy," she called to him, "Why is she calling you Derek?"

Derek quickly shushed her, keeping up his struggle with Lauren. "Why should I leave?" he persisted.

"Because, Derek," she drawled, all of her former shyness evaporating, "absolutely nothing will get done if you're here hovering over her like a _dog_. Now, scoot scoot." She pointed to the door which had suddenly become something no one wanted to be by. He blinked. Lauren kept her finger pointed.

Derek growled his chest rumbling, shaking Cailey slightly. "Daddy," she cried. Once more he ignored her.

Lauren swept her eyes from Derek to the door. "No," he growled.

"Do you want her fixed or not!" she shouted. From the back of the group of wolves Travis barked out a laugh. I thought over what Lauren said over a few times in my head and found the inner me laughing along, though I was careful not to let it sneak out into the physical side of me. Travis will be in trouble and I don't really feel like being dragged along beside him.

Changing her tactics, Lauren bent down to Cailey's face, moving a piece of her hair from her red stricken eyes. "Sweetie, will you be okay if Der-_your daddy_ steps into the hall while I fix you up?"

Derek's deep rumble grew louder but Cailey nodded her head slowly, as if she wanted to do what was right but didn't know if it was the correct choice.

"And," continued Lauren, "would you mind if all your daddy's _friends _left with him? I promise it won't be long, just a few moments while I stitch you up."

"O-okay."

So it was decided, or at least that's what Lauren concluded. "You heard her Derek. Out!"

Derek ignored her only focusing on Cailey and her panicked eyes. "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere."

"N-no, daddy, you can go. I'm a big girl. You can even ask Miss Soulia she would tell you."

Derek cringed at her soft spoken voice bearing the words Miss Soulia; the girl Derek had freaked over. His eyes dropped to his lap, his fingers letting go of his baby girl. Fiddling with his thumbs he talked with a smooth voice that told me he was holding back his real emotions to be able to get out his sentence. "You don't have to be a big girl," he muttered. _He still sounds like Lucas,_ I decided, _just whinier_.

"Yes I do, Daddy," Cailey said raising her voice with each word. "Next time I see Demi I want to be able to tell her that I was big and got stitches all by myself! I bet she'll be so happy that she lets me stay with her even longer, maybe even spend the night!"

"But Cailey—"

"No, Daddy. Please go, I wanna be a big girl!"

Stepping away from April with aching feet I walked over to Derek. "Hey, man, I can stay with her."

He grunted.

"No, no, no, you can't!" Lauren shouted, her words tripping over each other. A few coughs sputtered out and I scrunched my eyebrows. My eyes darted around the room, nervously glancing at the others, latching looks with Sam's, and giving him the eye password.

Sam blinked. Then, he choose that moment to step from the crowd and interject. "Why, Lauren?" he asked. "Why can't Jason stay?"

"Because," she exclaimed with great emphasis, "he is just as attached to _her_ as _he_ is!" She said stabbing her finger at me, then Cailey, and, last but not least, Derek.

"Then," I shouted—_everyone else got to shout why couldn't I?_—"can Colton stay? He really doesn't care about Cailey at all! He won't hover." That was a lie of course. We all loved Cailey like a daughter to some extent, but the point was that Lauren didn't know that.

Lauren nodded thoughtfully taking her time to think it over. "Hmm, yes, well I guess…"

"Alright then, problem solved. C'mon Boss we've got to talk about something anyway…and I think its best _every_one hears this."

Getting up Derek re-positioned Cailey on the bed and gave her a light peck on the cheek leaving her to wipe it off with a smug grin. Derek didn't look hurt by this but instead like he understood, like it was something he would have chosen to do to so it made sense. Smooth and with confidence, Derek walked over to Colton, gave him his _look_, and then proceeded to make his way out of the room not sparing a second glance. That left me to herd everyone else out of the room, which proved to be easier than I thought. With a few "Gets," and "Out of here's," the room was nearly bare except for the addition of Colton, who stayed put in his spot on the white, glow n' the dark, star stickered windowsill.

"Thank you…" Lauren started, leaving a blank.

"Jason," I filled in for her.

"Jason, remind me to thank you again for this later," she said affirmably and with a fast change of topic, added, "He's a little _protective_ of people sometimes I must say…a little too protective if you know what I mean." She ended on a sour note, most likely due to the mood he's had to of put her in with all his refusing.

I shrugged. "Yeah, I guess." I turned and walked past Cailey's wall of books that was filled from the top to bottom, past her "reading corner" which consisted of a table with a big midnight blue blanket thrown over the top of it to create the ideal hiding spot, and finally left the room after spinning the hanging model of the solar system attached to the ceiling. In the hall I pulled back into the room to say a quick reminder to, "call out when your done, I'm sure someone in this house will hear you," then with a small, manly wave of goodbye to Colton, I jogged down the stairs and to the kitchen where I knew they would all be. People, especially a certain female werewolf I knew, tended to get hungry under highly stressful situations. And with Wood being the chef of the week, we were set for the hell of a storm we were in.

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_**A/N: **_**hey, thanks for reading, I hope you all liked it! Please review, I love hearing all your thoughts!**


	13. Chapter 13

_**A/N: **_**Hello guys! Sorry for the long wait, I know its been a whole month! But never fear, I just hit a little down spot with too many excuses to write out! So to the few people (or many) that skip the author notes your going to be very confused. And to unconfuse (apparently that isn't a word, oh well!) you I will warn you that I am adding in a new character! She helped me get out of my little case of writers block and she does tie in with the story so don't be too confused. Though I'm not sure when I'll write in her POV again. Jason's POV is in this chapter too so don't worry. Okay any further questions ask me in a review!**

**To **_**jenaca, Bookninja15, moon-called-princess (;D), aStromatMidnight, SweetDreamzz3116, xrubyx, Green Eyes In The Rain, and Dawn War**_** thank you all for the reviews! You guys are what remind me not to give up, and tell myself that I really **_**can**_** write! **

**_Roseg8s9512_: Thanks for the review! I can't wait for Derek and Chloe to meet again too, but I have to keep this controlled. But just as a secret from me too you, they will be meeting sometime within the next five or six chapters. I think that's a promise I can keep because that gives me time to finish off a few things…**

**_Murry-2012_: Thanks for the review! 1) I hate Lauren, too. She was always my least favorite character…well, after Rae. 2) I think telling Cailey the truth will come really soon (like within the next few chapters soon) But you tell me, would you like to hear them break the news to Cailey through her point of view or Jason's? 3) Okay I have everything planned out about how Cailey was born and who she belongs too and all the rest of that stuff. Trust me, it'll work. **

**_Suzi1811: _Thanks for the review! 1) I loved your rant on Lauren! 2) April is the kind of girl that knows how to keep a guy in line I can tell you that! 3) Confessions will be made during this chapter. 4) I swear sometimes you can see into my mind and pick out all my little plot plans (not going to tell you what you were right about though!) 5) I'm going to end this shout out by saying I hate Lauren, too. I wish her the worst in life. **

**_Anonymous:_ YOU FORGOT TO LOGIN! Thanks for the review anyway though! And you were so happy that you saw your name on the shout out list last time, I hope you see this! 2) I think you are the first person who has actually listened to me telling them that they will have to wait for Derek and Chloe to meet! Congrats to you, you win a Super Secret Prize of Nothing! **

**_Kcg1.08:_ Thanks for the review! Bring on your nine questions! 1) Ohh you don't know what happened between "Demi" and "Lucas"? Oh well then I guess you'll just have to wait and find out! 2) Cailey's mom is…not going to tell you hahahaha! No, you'll find out later. 4) I'm not sure if the girl in Chloe's past was Cailey's mom (well, truthfully I do.) 5) I'm almost positive that Derek knows that Demi and Chloe are the same, but you know me: I like to add plot twists and be mysterious. You may be on to something…or not. 6) Sorry mi amigo but I don't think I will be doing any chapters in Derek's POV. He knows too much and I can't write in his POV with out giving it all away. 7) Yeah, as you can tell I didn't update that week. But I'm here now! 8) How do you know Cailey isn't Chloe's kid? Ever think about that, huh? 9) Actually I was thinking about doing a chapter in Cailey's POV. Let me ask you, would you rather hear Derek break Cailey the news about what she is and all that in her POV or Jason's? 10) Thanks for such an amazing compliment! I often doubt my writing talent but I think it's exceptional for a beginner that hasn't taken any classes/lessons and has only been writing for less than a year.**

**_FireflyBlizzard_: Thanks for the review! What if I told you they will meet sometime within the next five or six chapters. I think that's a promise I can keep because that gives me time to finish off a few things…**

**_BeachBallofLove_: Thanks for the review! It's possible that Cailey is a necromancer, though it's also possible she's not (Sorry but I'm not going to tell you. When I tell Cailey what she is through Derek or Jason or someone then you'll know!).**

**_Chlereklover23_: Thanks for the review! Thank you for thinking my story is amazing. And sorry for the long wait!**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Darkest Powers.**__**

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**(Scarlet POV)**

The desk was scattered with papers. Pens were open, pencils were broken. Five or so coffee cups were lying completely drained of contents on the floor. The room was a filthy mess.

In my hands I held an envelope. It was addressed to Mr. Tucker. His name was written in tiny scrawl, almost as if the person writing was trying to keep it from being seen. There was no return address, not that Mr. Tucker would right back. Most likely the letter would get thrown in the pile along with all the others, just another piece of paper to be thrown away. Shredded by the paper shredder, forced into millions of little pieces so small the words would look like smudges. No, Mr. Tucker could care less about a letter.

I dared to take a step forward into the piles of trash, my shiny black heels rustling the wrappers of candy bars and cigarettes beneath me. I ran one smooth finger across the front of the envelope. The red of my nail polish still wet from touch ups scratched a long line across the front. I dug my heels into place, steadying myself against the floor underneath.

Mr. Tucker was a man wealthy from his own work, ugly from his own mother, and short from his own pride. He had once been a legend, someone small children looked up to. To some people he still is. Though he isn't fooling me. Oh yes, he very much thinks he is, but he isn't. I know his plan, I understand his plan. It really is a good plan, smart by some means. And I see what he sees. More power, more wealth, more fame. I see it all very clear.

And I'll go along with it.

I'll go along with his every move, support him in every way. "Yes, sir," I'll say, "That is a brilliant idea." And then I'll plot. I'll wrap my long arms around his fat neck in the most loving of ways. Then, one inch at a time, I'll squeeze. By the time it's done he won't know what hit him. Just like that he will be gone. And what was his will be mine.

And his big plan won't look so big anymore.

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** (Jason POV)**

A long time ago Derek, when he had still been Lucas, had given us his story. It wasn't anything fantastical. He told us he had been tossed around from a few packs, traveled around on his own for a little. The best part of his story was when he told us about how he met Sam. Apparently, he had been living with a pack in Alabama at the time, nothing too permanent, just a temporary thing. But one day, while he was hanging out, relaxing with some of the pack brothers like most packs do, a guy came in with a scroungy, blond-haired, dark-skinned boy hanging from his teeth. The boy, Derek said, was unconscious, sleeping in his own blood. That's when he realized what kind of pack he was in. They insisted he try some. "Just taste a little," Derek had told us they said, "They're better than they smell. Promise." But Derek wasn't having any of it. He stole the boy from the wolf's teeth, ripping limbs, spreading even more blood; just barley getting away with a minimum amount of broken bones and bruises.

Now, this story had always stunned me. Just thinking about running into man eaters: It gave me shivers down my spine. But I guess that story was a lie too.

"I think its time for the whole truth." I, and everyone else—excluding Lauren and Cailey, was in the Kitchen. Wood was nervously making sandwiches, his hands moving mechanically over the peanut butter to the bread, then to the Jelly. Dale and Bree occupied themselves by passing around plates, filling cups with coffee, and making idle conversation with the younger pack brothers. No one seemed to hear me. Maybe it was because I wasn't talking loud enough. Not that that was an accident. I was purposely speaking low, secretly hoping that if no one heard me then we could drop the whole thing and go to bed. I knew that couldn't (and ultimately _wouldn't_) happen though. These people deserved to know the truth whether they really cared or not.

So I tried again. This time I spoke louder, raising my voice slightly, "I think it's time that you—"

"Hey, Jason, why is we all up right now?" That was from Smart. Don't let his name fool you, though. The concept of good grammar, basic math, and the need to be able to read didn't apply to him. We once tried to get him to go to school, just try a few semesters to see how it went. Strike one for us. Later we tried to get him a job. That was strike two. So now we all waited, not really sure what to have him do. Some what afraid of what would happen on strike three.

"Smart, that is a very good question," I said to him, now shouting over the noise of other people. Smart beamed at me, flashing his teeth undoubtedly happy that he had been complemented on having a good question. "A really, really good question," I said, more to myself now. "Excuse me for a second."

Smart nodded vigorously. "Okay, see ya later then!"

"Yeah," I said, "See you later, Smart." In a small way I felt bad for him. He was only seventeen, hadn't completed his full change yet, the pack was his only family. The poor boy had no one else.

Pushing that matter aside, I stepped up on top of a wooden chair, towering above the mass of people standing around the room. _This is my family, _I thought looking down at them. _This is my family, and tonight they are going to find out the truth; we all are._ I straightened my back, zeroed out April standing away from most of the people in the far corner by Sam, and then with my eyes set on her I cleared my throat loud and clear. A few people turned back to me, question marks in their eyes. I nodded my thanks to them, holding one finger up to ask for patience. I cleared my throat again, making a small rumbling noise in the process, and the last remaining people shut their traps and moved their glances to me.

At that moment I was very glad that I had never been the kind of person to get stage fright. However, I was the kind of person that got lost in thought, causing myself to ramble on, and on, and on. But that had only happened once—when I had to explain some pretty nasty bruises to…well that doesn't really matter, my childhood was crap, best to just for get about it.

"Hey, everybody. How are you all tonight?" I asked, feeling their gaze upon me. The room was silent. _Okay, tough crowd_, I thought, trying to pull out the professional in me."Um, so I know it's late and you all would rather be in bed right now." Next to me someone scoffed. "Yeah, tell me about it. But there is something that you all need to know…" I paused not knowing where I should go. What had I been planning? Just to get up here and tell them that Lucas, their beloved pack leader, wasn't really Lucas at all. No! I couldn't do that. _But I have to, _I told myself, _they deserve to know; they deserved to know a long time ago. We all did. _

More silence radiated off the walls. The color off the room was starting to take a sickly green color. _The walls…_is it just me, or are they getting closer? I looked around the room. Brows were raised high on faces, and impatient hands were placed on jutting hips. _Tick, tock, tick, tock, _went the clock, mocking me. "I, uh, I j-just thought I should tell you…um, that, uh…" _wait, what was I going to say again? Something about…_

"Jas, are you okay?" My eyes soared to the back of the room. It was April. Her face was written over with worry. _Oh-no, she doesn't think I can do it either! _My heart was racing. They were all waiting for an answer. "Uh…" I started blankly.

My head was racing. Maybe I should just start from the beginning. Yeah, like that one person said in his famous quote…oh who was it? Albert Einstein? John Green? No, no that isn't right. Was it Walt Disney? No, that isn't it either! Oh-no, they're all looking at me. What am I going to say? Think, think!

_Scrrratch! _Everyone turned their accusing stairs off of me and to my left. With a gust of relief I turned, too. And guess who it was come to save me from myself. Derek.

He had pushed his chair back making the horrible scratching noise and was now standing tall, his hair lank against his eyes. The pressure was off of me and on to him. _Thank you,_ I prayed out to whoever or whatever magical being listening.

"Jason, why don't you take a seat," Derek offered, his eyes on me, searching.

"Yeah, yeah, alright, okay…I'll just sit." My legs started to bend, creaking along the way, but then reason returned to my head and the words that had come up blank before rushed into my head. I popped back up sputtering, "But no, no, no! You've got to tell them! I can't do it! It has to be you. It has to!" I had to get him to understand. I couldn't tell them, it had to come from him! That was the only right way to do it. I kept on mumbling words; I wasn't sure about everything I said. I think I went off into something else for a second. Something about telling them because he was the only one Smart had…something about how we had to stay together for him.

"Jas, honey," April was saying from beside me, her hand pulling at my arm. "Honey, I think it's time you took a seat."

I looked at her. She didn't get it. "No, I have to tell him! He doesn't understand!"

"Jas, I really think you should—"

"No! I _can't_! Not yet!"

"Jason Riley, you will get down from that chair right this second. You're acting like a child!"

"But he—"

"Jason! I swear if you don't get your butt down here right this instant then you will be sleeping on the couch for the next two months!"

That snapped me in half like a twig. Without another word I sat down, my head hanging low. April gave an exasperated huff, and then with a sweet voice said, "Sorry about that. It _won't_ happen again." I think the last part was more geared toward a warning to me than an apology to the others.

Her soft footsteps headed back to her seat and I heard the low _harrumph _noise she made as she sat down.

Peering up I took my chances and looked back at her. She was shooting daggers at me through her eyes, the words _don't even think about it, _leaping off her face and into my mind.

I quickly looked away. I rested my eyes on Derek. Shaking his head he had a thoughtful look on his face, though when he caught sight of me all traces of it disappeared into a scowl. I wanted to get up and scream _What!_ at the top of my lungs, but I was already in deep enough with April, I didn't need more trouble on top of that from Derek.

"Jason's right," he mumbled.

Now, wait. _What?_ And that's when the tired side of me overrode the rational side and had my brain jumping with giddiness. _ I knew I was right! See everybody, see! I was right! Ha, ha, hahaha!_ Though I swiftly snapped out of it after a loud pointed cough broke through the air and a jab pulsed through my head. I realized, _oh God, I am acting like a child. _From then I decided that I was just going to sit back and listen.

"There is something that needs to be said, and I need to be the one who tells you."

I narrow my eyes. A sharp _pang _vibrates through my head. "My name is Derek Souza, I am twenty three, and I lied to all of you." As if rehearsed, one big sharp intake of breathe sounds from everybody around the room and an especially hard _zappp _shocks my brain. All at once people started shouting, whispering, and moving around, all astounded by what they had heard. I myself was pretty amazed too. Leave it to Derek to be so blunt.

But that was the least of my problems as miniature sparks of electric pain started attacking my head. I rubbed my temple trying to sooth it. I whimpered, a quite string of curses flowing from my mouth. Lifting my head, I saw Derek, having resided to sitting after the uproar, listening to Sam whose mouth was spitting out words like a rapid spout of water. I tried very hard to hear what he was saying but failed. The pain in my brain was too much.

A light tapping came to my shoulder. Moving my head every so slightly and ever so slowly, I faced up to see Wood with an outstretched hand holding a small white bottle. He was saying something, but as the pain intensified the more irritable I was getting and the less I could hear. "I can't hear you! Either get closer or go away."

An easy grin stretched out and played on his face. He stepped closer leaning down to my height. In a deep monotone he said, "April told me to give you this." I started to reach for the bottle, but he pulled back wagged his finger then said, "And she wanted me to tell you that this doesn't mean she forgives you." I rolled my eyes and reached for the bottle again. This time Wood extended his arm and released the bottle into my hand. I turned it around, reading the title: _Excedrin. _How was it that she could be so perfect when she was so mad at me?

I opened the bottle dropping four pills out. Just to be careful. I downed the pills two at a time, hating the feeling of the sleek capsules slid down my throat.

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It had been approximately twenty minutes. My head pulsing headache hadn't gone away. People were still yip-yapping there mouths sore. And Sam was still furiously demanding a response out of an unresponsive Derek.

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"Fine." That was the first word out of Derek's mouth after his confession, and it had everyone spinning around staring him down. I think Sam had finally gotten to him. That would explain his smug look.

"Fine." he muttered again.

All the talking in the room had stopped. The only noise was the constant _boom, bang, zappp _of my head pounding in my skull.

Derek looked up. He stood. He glanced backwards at Sam who was leaning comfortably against the side wall urging him on. He dragged his hand through his hair in a way that conveyed that he was frustrated and wanted to get what ever he had to do over with.

"Sam wants you to all know that his real name is Simon." Derek glanced over at Sam with raised eyebrows; a silent question _is that good enough? _Sam shook his head once _No. _Derek grudgedly faced us again. "His real name is Simon Bae."

Then the talking started again.

"So everything you've ever told us is just…lies?" This one voice stood high above everybody else's.

"No," Derek growled out making the word seem impossibly long.

"So what's your story then? What_ is_ true? How do we know we can trust you?" Dale was the one asking the questions. This whole situation must have been a slap to his face. Dale had had a hard life before coming to the Syracuse pack. He grew up knowing about the werewolf thing. His father was the pack Alpha of a different, smaller, pack in northern New York. When Dale was ten, a skirmish between another near by pack arose and acting as pack leader, his father went off to fight. Dale told us about the night, about the promise they made. That night Dale's father broke his promise by never coming home. Ever since then Dale's been shaky on trust, he's afraid that if he gives too much of it away he'll lose again. _Yeah, this has got to suck for him._

Derek chose his words carefully but was just as bland as always. "Of course you can trust me, Dale. Don't be an idiot."

From beside Dale, Bree spoke up. "What's your story, _Derek_? Tell us that."

"Yeah, _Derek_," Dale mimicked in a, _way to go babe,_ tone.

Derek sighed. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. I could feel his unease.

"You want to hear my story?"

Dale nodded.

Derek shook his head unbelievingly. "Okay. I was born in the Edison Group HQ, some of you may know what that is, for those who don't, I'll tell you this: it's a laboratory where scientists do experiments on supernaturals to try and modify us. So with that I'll tell you that I am not just a regular werewolf, I'm a genetically modified werewolf."

Resounding gasps burst through the air.

"As a kid I spent most of my life in a lab with more of _my kind_. Then, when I was about eight years old Simon's dad took me home. He raised Simon and me as his sons and we lived like brothers. When I was sixteen our dad was kidnapped. We were placed in a group home. There we met Victoria Enright and…" he paused, drawling a breath, "And Chloe Saunders. Victoria, who goes by Tori, we later found out was Simon's brother. Together we all escaped the group home and went on a search for Simon, Tori, and my dad. Along the way we had some trouble but in the end we managed to find our dad—and Chloe's aunt who had recently been kidnapped too—and finish off the Edison group. After, we traveled keeping away from the cabal, another group of people who were out to kill us, and helped supernaturals in trouble. While helping a sorcerer escape from a branch of the cabal, we got ourselves trapped. Chloe made a plan with someone that got us out, but separated us. Since then I haven't seen her or Tori or our dad. Stuck with Lauren, Simon and I ran across this pack. You all know the rest."

"Whoa, dude, that's some deep shit."

And it was. Hearing Derek's story was like another _zappp_ to the brain—which I didn't appreciate seeing as my headache still hadn't gone away.

More questions were coming in. It was like all they needed was that one person to speak up first and then _boom!_ The ice was broken and down could come the barrage of question, accusations, and interrogations.

"So what's _he_?" someone shouted, stabbing a crooked finger at Simon.

Derek very calmly, not letting the atmosphere break his prefect mask, answered, "Simon is a sorcerer."

"And what about the doctor upstairs? What kind of supernatural is she?"

"She isn't one."

The shouts of flared up, leaping higher like flames.

"What!"

"Then how come she knows about us?"

"Are you insane?"

"Everyone quite!" I shouted. My head was throbbing, the three extra pills I swallowed weren't working, and the voices of angry wolves were a problem.

The room inch-by-inch, foot-by-foot, second-by-second got quieter. _Better_, I thought.

"Now," I said out loud, "Derek will tell you everything if you will just shut up!"

Approving nods circled the room. I blinked. Then with a swift movement I gestured for Derek to go on while I got a glass of water.

My knees popped and my elbows groaned, but I pushed my way through the hoard of people stuck in the middle of the room. At the sink I reached high above the faucet to get a glass. My hand felt along the hard wood, feeling the smooth sensation of the surface, until I came upon something round and hard. I snatched it up just as Derek resumed talking from the other side of the room.

"Lauren was a doctor for the Edison Group. That's how she knows about us."

"But…why did ya go and brought her with you?" Smart asked (I could tell it was him by the way he talked.)

"I-I…" Derek broke off with a pained expression. He tossed his hair around and set his gaze on the floor. He growled low, but loud enough for the room of werewolves to hear. "We rescued Lauren because she is Chloe's aunt."

Simon scuffled around.

I held my glass tight. Shakily, my hand reached for the faucet. I felt the cool metal against my palm. Squeezing harder than needed, I started to turn the faucet. Then suddenly, with the hardest, bone rattling, head electrifying shock possible, my head exploded into a million different colors of pain. Yelling out profanities, I dropped my glass letting it burst into a million pieces on the floor. The veins in my head felt like they would burst! I fell to the floor gasping for breath. My hand flipping out into little spasms. It was like my changes—when I changed into a wolf. But worse. So much worse.

In seconds my pack brothers were crowding around me. Closest was Derek and April leaning over my head. April was pushing my hair from my eyes, mumbling words that didn't make since in my damaged head. Derek was propping me up, with a surprising look of panic on his face. I bit down on my lip, tasting blood, the metallic taste that wasn't appealing or all that unappealing. I clenched my fist.

All the noises of people were knocked out. My sense of smell was gone. My eyes were bursting, pain filling each vain that ran though them. However, whether by chance or reason, I heard the smallest whisper of a word. Holding so many different emotions was the word that I felt confused. "Daddy?" it asked. And at that moment I wasn't sure if it was the shock, amazement, or fear, in the voice that had me wondering if it wasn't the voice of the little girl in the doorway, but really the voice of me in the corner of the hotel room fifteen years ago, hiding terrified from the man that gave me life.

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_**A/N: **_**I know this end might confuse you but don't worry. I will explain it later. In the mean time tell me what you think! **

**P.S. what do you guys think about a chapter in Cailey's POV? **


	14. Chapter 14

_**A/N: **_**Hey guys! So this was a really hard chapter for me to write, but it answers one of the most frequently asked questions so had to get it right! So without further ado…Actually one more thing. A request has come in from someone, who I will keep unnamed, to have my other story **_**The Decisions**_** be finished by someone who will actually finish it because I haven't (and most likely won't) finish it. Now as much as I would love to see my other story finished, I just don't feel right allowing someone else finish it. I would just feel weird letting someone else work on it knowing that they are choosing what happens to the characters I created and changing the plot that I thought of. I'm not trying to be mean and I hope you understand. So now without further ado… **

**To **_**tumblechick13, FireflyDancer, aStromatMidnight, Green Eyes In The Rain, SweetDreamzz3116, murrey-2012, xrubyx, AsHlle'MaRiEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee (& e), moon-called-princess (;D),**__**Obssessedcrazedbookworm, suzi1811, **_**all the people that favorited, and all the people who story alerted****you guys are the most deliciously, scrumptious, wonderful people ever (is it wrong that I'm referring to you as food?)!**

**Bookninja15: Thanks for the review! To answer your question, no, Scarlet is a completely new character I added. She probably won't be in this story too much, but she will have a **_**significant**_** part.**

**FireflyBlizzard: Thanks for the review! I have a feeling Jason will be fine ;) and it might have had something to do with a certain spell made by a certain demon wearing off…Scarlet is a new character I added! Her job is to pretty much do Mr. Tucker's (who you will find out more about later) dirty work.**

**BoOkWoR040: Thanks for the review! Your review made me smile and giggle to myself! I love being able to write a good story for people! **

**DramaQueen-who-loves-Romance: Thanks for the review! Derek and Chloe will meet soon, within the next three chapters I can almost promise!**

_**Disclaimer: i don not own Darkest Powers. **_

_**

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**_**(Cailey's POV) **

"Daddy?" I screamed. He was standing over Jason with his head bent to his shoulders and his legs bent at his knees. He looked sad. Like the time when I asked him about his mommy and daddy…at the time I had only been curious. I had wanted to know more about his life before. But Daddy had refused to answer my question about his parents; he had just stared into his lap in a dream like daze. I had tried asking him what was wrong. Why he wouldn't look at me—though he would never answer. And when I finally accepted that he wasn't going to talk, I tried to undue my words. That hadn't helped either. We had sat in silence after that, neither of us knowing what to say, then he had simply gotten up and left, a soft sadness in his eyes. By the next day that sadness had been gone and I figured it had passed along with whatever weird silence thing he had had going on. But now it was back.

I wrinkled my eyebrows, dismissing whatever was wrong with Daddy, and watched Jason. His arms and legs were popping up and down like popcorn in a microwave and his wrists were making circles in the air that floated around and around and arou— His head was tilted back letting strange noises float from his mouth. They weren't words exactly, more like growls and grunts: sounds of jungle animals. And his face! His face was covered in a thick glow of sweat that dripped onto the floor and made _tap tap tap_ sounds that I could hear through the panic in the room.

So many people were surrounding Jason. April was the closets out of everyone, her forehead brushing his. Her lips parted as words in the from of shrieks spilled from her mouth, her Adam's Apple bobbing up and down, up and down; up and down…I thought I might be sick.

I looked to Daddy as acid from my stomach rose to my throat. Grandma Laurie had warned me to stay away from him. Her words echoed in my ears. _Dangerous, _she had told me. _He'll snap you like a twig. _I hadn't listened to her; instead I had listed the names of presidents in order. Last names first, first names last. _Washington, George;__Adams, John; Jefferson, Thomas; Madison, James; Monroe, James; Adams, John Quincy, Jackson, Andrew…_

Daddy still hadn't noticed me…I could taste bits of puke leak into my mouth causing me to bend over at the waist. I wouldn't let myself do it though. I swallowed back my sick and blinked away my tears. _He'll leave you behind. And unless you find a way out, you'll drown in your own tears. _Grandma Laurie had gripped my arm extra tight when she had said that. Her eyes were wild and crazy; so blue, the color of the sky, the color that would be imprinted in my mind forever. In my head I had kept naming presidents, by then I was at Pierce, Franklin. _Buchanan, James; Lincoln Abraham…Johnson, Andrew;_ _Grant, Ulysses S.; Hayes, Rutherford Birchard…Garfield, James Abram; Arthur, Chester Alan. _

Jason was still struggling on the floor. April was holding his arm—clawing into his skin, drawling blood. Daddy looked pained. Everyone around Jason shouted their words too loud for the average sized room. My head ached along with the beat of someone's tapping foot. Still, nobody noticed me.

I couldn't allow myself to call out again. Maybe it was because I was somewhat relieved that nobody had heard me. I had gone my whole life with people tending to my every will. Sure I was only eight years old, but I wasn't stupid, not anywhere near stupid. I started reading at one, simple addition and subtraction came to me at two and a half, and grammar never seemed to be a problem. The only thing that I lacked in was understanding real life. That meant understanding why people didn't like each other, for example, was confusing to me, and why people made fun of you when you used big words was hard for me to understand. Because of this I often sounded more childish when I spoke than when I thought. In my head everything made sense, I could rationalize everything by putting it into terms I could understand, but when I tried to explain it to someone else—it all came out in a mess. So I stuck with small words. But sometimes, when I was with someone I knew well or felt comfortable with, I would be able to let a little of what was going on up in my head out.

* * *

I think it had been somewhere around fifteen minutes. Fifteen minutes of being invisible. It gave me time to think.

I mostly thought about Grandma Laurie and what she had said. About how she had told me, while taking a needle through my arm, that Daddy was going to hurt me some day. She also told me that he was a liar. According to _her_ he had been lying to me about something my whole life. I didn't believe her in the beginning. And even towards the end I had still thought she was the liar. But then a little flicker of something (Was it reason?) had reached out to me in the back of my head. That's when she had said Daddy was a monster.

* * *

Another ten minutes later. Someone had finally noticed my presence and was coming towards me. It was him of course.

Daddy was reaching out to me, whispering words that I could hear even though he was a good amount of feet away. I had never questioned how I could hear his mumbled words or soft murmurs. I just _could_.

And in the past ten minutes I had done more thinking, as if I hadn't already done enough. I had come to the conclusion that I would get answers from him before I let him trick me anymore. The things Grandma Laurie had told me were starting to get in my head. They were starting to make sense. Like when she said that Daddy hadn't been telling me the whole truth? Well that made sense when I applied it to the question about where he went at night in the dark with Jason. Or when Grandma Laurie told me that Daddy had once hurt someone so badly that the person he hurt would never walk again. It made sense because Daddy _had_ always been nervous when he saw people in wheelchairs. Yeah, things were starting to become clear as day to me.

Though, I will admit that there were still a few things I didn't agree with Grandma Laurie about. _Trust me, sweetie, _she had said, her blue eyes gazing into mine intently, _he never loved you. _That had to have been wrong. No matter how many lies he had told me or things he hadn't told me I knew Daddy still loved me.

_Cailey,_ Grandma Laurie had crowned. But that's where I stopped thinking. I wouldn't let myself think about that. Not now at least.

I focused on Daddy now. He was slowly approaching me with his hands held out in front of him. I hadn't realized but I had been scooting backwards along the floor the whole time, keeping my distance from him. His eyes held the soft edge around them that they had when he had been watching Jason quiver on the floor. He took another step towards me.

"S-stay away!" I shouted at him. "Please."

Daddy stopped in his tracks. His eyes turned to mush and he opened his mouth in a small circle. I wanted answers before going any farther. I didn't want to keep being lied to.

"Don't come any closer," I warned, masking my tone so it was blank with just a hint of authority like he had taught me.

"Cailey," he said taking a half step, "don't be absurd." Absurd was his cover up word for stupid.

"I-I'm not kidding!" I glanced at the room around us, checking for nosy family members. I was utterly surprised to find everyone gone. The room was completely cleared except for the two of us. "Where'd everybody go?"

Daddy didn't respond, though he did, very subtly, nod his head in the direction of the hallway and grunt out a low noise.

"Oh," was all I said back. I hadn't seen or heard them leave. How odd. I must have been so wrapped up in my own thoughts that I actually missed something. That had never happened to me before.

We both kept quite. I left my eyes on him flinching with every move he made. We did this little game for a while were he would move his foot off the ground and I would push myself back a foot only to move myself forward again as his foot settled back in its original spot. I knew why he played that game. He was testing me. But it didn't work because we were too much alike, and no one could ever win as long as we both had the cheat sheet.

"Cailey Tara Sauller," Daddy said stepping forward, ending our game, "I do not know what has gotten into you but its going to end _now_. I don't have time to sit here and play silly games." He takes a few more paces towards me and I scattered out of the way. "You've got five minutes to pull yourself together and then I want you in the living room." Then he walked out of the room, a scowl evident on his face. He had won the silly game, and he knew.

And so for the next five minutes I sat thinking, _Silly:_ _another word for stupid.__

* * *

_In the living room everyone was sitting cozy against each other. Jason, who had calmed down to only twitching every once and a while, was lying on the long red couch with April at his head and Smart holding his feet on the other end. Below him on the ground sat Wood with a clear plastic bowl. Across the room on a love seat sat Dale and Bree, holding each others hands talking slowly. Then there was Daddy.

He stood pacing back and forth behind the couch. He had his arms held behind his back and his face was as hard as stone. I walked past him as he was making a turn to circle back towards the front door. I hurried to the middle of the room. Having so many familiar people around calmed me and I sighed gently as I dropped to the floor against the Love seat Bree and Dale were sharing.

Not even thirty seconds later, as the big clock above the TV set off into a chorus of _ding-dong-diings_, April spoke up, her voice shaky. "How is he?" she asked, petting Jason's head in that way grownups do. That was another one of the few things I didn't understand. Why would you ever feel the need to pet someone? Does it make you feel like you're in control; like the person your petting is your little dog that will be under your command once you're finished rewarding him?

Daddy paused. "He'll be fine."

"But what—what happened to him?" she whispered as though if she spoke to loud she would scare the unresponsive Jason away.

"He must have had a small fit caused by…too much stress in the brain or something…" Daddy mumbled, his eyes lost in space.

"But he was…you know…" she stopped short, glanced at me, and then in a lower voice said, "He was cha—"

"I know." Daddy stopped his pacing again, shutting his eyes.

"So what should we do about it? We can't just sit around and wait for him to collapse into a-a-a…a coma!" April chocked out. Her hands were making wild gestures in the air, dancing like ballerinas, careful not to disturb Jason.

"I know; I know! I'm figuring it out."

April didn't say anything back, probably because there was nothing to say back. Instead she whispered to herself. Having nothing better to do than think more to myself I lapsed into a fit of curiosity.

What was April about to say before Daddy cut her off? _Cha_- what? Was what Grandma Laurie had told me playing out right in front of my very own eyes? _Lies, sweetie, it was all lies. _Those words, the ones Grandma Laurie had muttered while pulling out pieces of glass from my arm, gave me chills up my back.

I shook my head dislodging the memory. My eyes absently wondered around the room. From the window I could see rain pounding against the glass. The wind blew hard; I could hear its whistle as it squeezed through tree branches. And from somewhere off in the distance I could see the lightening strike. Lightening. Thoughts hurtled through my head as fast as light. It was all so simple. How could they not see the solution? Unless…they could see it and they were purposely not suggesting it. Either way I had to say something. So, breaking the silence, I suggested, "The hospital."

"Excuse me?" April asked turning towards me as does everybody else.

"I said," I alliterated, "the hospital. Why don't we take Uncle Jason there?"

April raised her eyebrows at me, tilting her head to the side. She nodded her head once, and then she looked away. With the same expression she gave me, she turned to Daddy staring him down.

"What?" he demanded from underneath her pointed gaze.

Her eyebrows arched higher. "Did you not just hear your daughter?"

"I did," he replied.

"And?"

"Yes?" he probes.

"And do you plan on answering her question?"

"No."

April let out a huge huff of air. To herself I could hear her muttering, _"In through the nose, out through the nose."_ After a few more of April's breathing techniques she was calmed enough to start again. "I think it is about time you tell her."

"No."

"You didn't even think about it!" she screams back, forgetting completely about her effort to not mangle Jason in any way.

"I don't have to," Daddy shouted back, slightly softer than April's roaring shriek. "I'm the parent and I get to decided what my daughter does and doesn't know!"

"Cant you see you're hurting her more by not telling her!" April demanded, a frown deepening on her face.

"I'm not hurting her, I'm saving her!"

"Oh really?" April said accusingly.

"Yes!"

"And how is that?" She asked her voice flattening on "that".

"Because the less she knows the less her life will be like mine!"

"Exactly," April ends.

Daddy, stuck with his mouth half open ready to throw his next defense, stopped. For that second it was like the whole room stopped. Then there was laughing. It wasn't coming from either of the two fired up beings, huffing and puffing in their own corners, but from the opposite side of the room. In fact, it came from right above _me_.

_Dale_ was the one laughing.

He laughed so hard his breath started coming jagged and his face turned tomato red. It was like watching a twisted comedy. We all turned to watch him.

As soon as all of our eyes had settled on him he began his breathy speech. "You guys are such…" he paused to take a deep breath in, "…idiots! You're both sitting there arguing, and the whole time you're just…" he breathed, "…giving it all away! If she didn't know something was up before she does…" he breathed, but we all knew what he was about to say, "…now!" Then he rolled into another fit of laughter.

April sat quietly for a minute more, thinking over who knows what, and then she gave a few hoots of her own. She looked to Daddy with humorous eyes, her lips stretching into a grin. Daddy didn't find this situation funny, and neither did I.

I was stabbing myself with invisible, pretend needles, wincing at the pain of being right. And even more for knowing Grandma Laurie had been right. Daddy was lying to me and I suddenly felt sick again. Holding my stomach with my arm I raced to the bowl straddled in Woods arms and puked up bits. There was no holding back; my breakfast, lunch, and appetite for anything food related flew out the door head first, some of it landing on the carpet on the way.

Daddy didn't waste a second; he was at my side rubbing light circles on my shoulder, pulling my hair back into a bun. But this didn't calm me. I hated the way he could get by telling me lies my whole life and then think he can just waltz over and try to soothe me. I puked again. I felt bad for poor Wood. He was the unlucky holder of my bowl and the contents of my stomach. I hoped I hadn't sprayed any of my sick on him. I wouldn't be able to live that down. I spit out the nasty taste left tainting my saliva into the bowl to join its friends.

Holding back tears that were sure to leak from my eyes any moment know, I shrugged Daddy off and pulled away. A crash of hurt flashed on his face. I didn't want it to be this way. I wanted my Daddy back, the Daddy that never lied, and that read me books by the fire while eating oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and hot tea (he was too much of a health freak to let me eat regular cookies or hot chocolate). That was the Daddy I wanted back.

Someone standing above me dropped a towel to the floor against my feet. I picked it up loving the soft feeling of cotton touching my fingers. I wiped it across my face regretting having to ruin a perfectly good towel. I would never be able to get the rotten smell out.

The room was quite again, filling up with that all too loud thing called silence. I had a sudden urge to leave this place, to run away, maybe I could go to Demi. There was never silence like this when I was with Demi...

"It's now or never."

I glanced up looking to April. She had her serious face on again. She was locked, engaged, in a silent war between her and Daddy. I asked myself who I though would win, but I couldn't come up with an answer. Daddy had a hard shell around him that kept him from being easily persuaded, but April on the other hand, was born to break down those walls and enter reason and enlightenment where you were lacking.

"'Never' isn't really a choice," she added, foreseeing his answer.

Daddy grunted.

"Don't you want to get it over with?" she asked gently, knowing just the right time to settle her voice.

Daddy shrugged.

"The answer you are looking for is yes. And since you can't seem to make a decision, I'll do it for you." She smiled wickedly. "You're going to tell her. _Now_." She paused, vouching his reaction. "And if you don't," she started again after he didn't respond, "then I'll tell her."

Daddy growled. Or he did something that sounded like a growl because obviously humans can't growl. I kept quite the whole time. I wanted to know the truth _but_ _what could I say that would persuade him to tell me_? I couldn't come up with anything so I stayed a mute.

April became a mute along with me. I figured she was giving Daddy some time to sort through things. I could wait. That gave me time to ready myself…And by that I meant it gave me time to think. _Yes_, more thinking.

I thought about why nobody had questioned me about Grandma Laurie yet. Or Colton. I was glad they hadn't, but I didn't understand why not. Was it because they had forgotten? All too wrapped up in their own problems that they hadn't had the time to remember someone else? That was possible. Though, it's not like I would know what to tell them anyway. How could I explain to them to horrible thing I had seen; heard! Better yet, how would I be able to tell them about what _I_ had done? How would I be able to say the words? _Join me, sweetie, together we will take them down, they wont be able to hurt you anymore…Her long talons reached out to me as she screeched like a hawk swooping down for its pray. Her bright blue eyes the color of flowing water clouded over. Her long, dirt bathed nails poked at my skin…_And that's when I had done it.

* * *

Daddy had finally given in. He said he would tell me _every_thing. Of course that made me happy. I had actually started to smile, too, but then I remembered what he was telling me and I wasn't so happy anymore.

So the mood was set. The lights were flickering _buzz_, and candles were placed on the window sills just in case. The storm was raging outside, howling for unknown reasons. Blankets were passed around the room soft and fuzzy to keep us all warm, and everyone had a partner. That is, except for Daddy and I. We stayed alone in our own separate corners hugging blankets around our knees listening to the eerie creaks of the wooden house around us. It really was crazy that no one had noticed the two missing people.

Wood walked past me hurdling packets of fruit snacks around the room. He tossed one over his shoulder and it landed in my lap. I stared down at it hungrily before remembering the foul taste of the puke and setting it softly next to my foot, out of my eyesight. Sounds of small voices and crinkling wrappers made the room sound more like the home I was used to and I relished in it. But the moment was ruined too quickly for my liking.

"I know I said I would tell her the truth but—"

"No buts!" April shouted to him, astounded that he was still trying to slide around the problem that he had placed upon himself.

"Let me finish," he said completely ignoring her outrage. "I know I said I would tell you the truth, Cailey, but if I do—"

"_When_ you do," April corrected for him.

"_When I do_," Daddy said giving April a pointed look, "I need you to understand that I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to get hurt. I was only thinking of your safety."

Daddy stared at me. "And I need you to agree that after I finish you will tell me why you have suddenly decided to hate me."

I chewed on my lip. "Okay."

And then he started. "To understand this story you're going to have to listen and keep up. Save as many of your questions until we get to the end. No random outbursts. You break a rule I end my story. All rules go into effect now."

I stayed silent, shifting slightly in my blanket.

"Here are the basics," Daddy started, calling up his formal tone. "My name is Derek Souza. I am your biological father. Your Uncle Sam is your real Uncle, but his real name is Simon. Grandma Laurie is not your real Grandma. Your "Aunts" and "Uncles" in this room are part of my pack. I am a genetically modified werewolf."

_What?_ I cocked my head to the right. I must have heard wrong. Werewolf? Ha! No, no, no, werewolves weren't real. No. Never had I ever read a book where werewolves existed outside of science fiction; the underlined word being _fiction_. It was just not logically possible. No, I heard wrong.

"Yes, werewolves." Daddy stared at me making sure I got it. And I didn't. Werewolves. Weren't. Real. The whole bone moving transformation thing just wasn't possible

"I don't understand it either, it just is," he stated, "And since I am a werewolf and you are my daughter that makes you a werewolf, too."

_No. _

"In fact, you're the second female werewolf to ever exist; April being the first…Though, now that I think about it, you were born before April was bitten, making you the first female werewolf to exist."

No one congratulated me on my accomplishment. Not that It was something to be proud of—not that it was real. Grandma Laurie had told me he lied and that was all this was: more of his lies.

"Your mother—she wasn't a supernatural like us. She was human. She was lonely; all her relatives had died off years ago. And she had _desperately_ wanted a child. Word had gotten around about her situation—too little money to get a sperm from a donor and too high of morals to sleep with a random man. That's when the Cabal stepped in. The Cabal is a group of supernautrals with varying powers: sorcerers, half-demons, and shamans to name a few…The cabal contacted your mother, Rosalie Sauller, and made her an offer she couldn't refuse. They offered her a free sperm operation with a readily supplied amount of sperms, and a job."

April had told me about that before. Not my mother, but the sperm thing. She had told me about boys and all their parts along with what happened with them. When I asked her why she was telling me she replied, unmoved, _"I just want you to be ready for anything."_ I had been confused at the time. I mean, why would I want to know about gross boy parts? But I guess I know why now. Though, this whole thing is still completely impossible. I am obviously _not_ a werewolf because such things don't exist—you know, along with sorcerers and half-demons. No way.

"She grabbed the offer without any questions," Daddy went on, watching me. "Later, after she had been successfully impregnated, they sent her out on her first job. Her job was simple really. All she had to do was find me, tell me she was pregnant with my child, and then bring me back with her to the Cabal headquarters. I had been a wanted subject there for quite a while, and after I had escaped from there grasp…" Daddy rolled his eyes. "…they wanted me more."

Grandma Laurie was defiantly right. These all had to be lies. But why wasn't anyone denying it? Did they really believe all this mumbo-jumbo? Why couldn't they see how dumb this was? None of it was true. It couldn't be.

"I guess," Daddy said, bringing me back to the story, "they figured that I would feel so compelled to keep my child safe and happy that I would willingly follow Rosalie back." Daddy shrugged. "But that's not what happened. Instead, I kept Rosalie under constant surveillance in the house."

"Like a prisoner," April added.

"Yes," Daddy agreed, "Exactly like a prisoner."

The clock _tick-tocked_ its way into a new hour. The house groaned against the wind. The bright paint on the walls seemed to drip with anticipation. I wiggled in my seat.

"Rosalie started to become depressed. She would sit in her bedroom staring out a window all day, rubbing her stomach. She talked to you sometimes, I think. I would pass by her room and she would be whispering words. I never stuck around long enough to understand though. I didn't want to invade her privacy along with everything else I was doing." Daddy ran his hand through his hair. "I visited Rosalie once a week, just a quick checkup. During those times she would always try to convince me to come back with her. Back to the Cabal. She promised me a life there, said that I could help her raise you. It shocked me to know how much hope she still had after being basically imprisoned."

April glanced up. "She used to talk to me about it too." A sad smile slid across her face. "I would bring her breakfast and sit next to her on her bed while she ate. You meant the world to her you know?"

I shook my head and glanced down. I didn't remember my mother. I grew up knowing she was dead, so seeing other girls with their mothers didn't bother me. I knew I had a family twice the size of theirs anyway and my aunt, April, was like my mother so I had no room to complain. But now hearing about the woman who gave birth to me…I wanted more than just an aunt. I wanted a mother. I wanted someone who would hold me when I cried and read me bedtime stories. I wanted someone that would sing to me when I was scared and stop what they were doing to listen to me when I had a problem. I knew that April would do all of those things for me too, but I also knew one day she would have a kid of her own and I would simply fall into second place. I wanted someone who would never put me second.

"Anyway," Daddy said gearing back towards his story, "she was starting to get depressed. I wasn't positive, but I was starting to think it was because of her pregnancy." Daddy scrunched up his face. He closed his eyes making wrinkles form across his forehead. "You can't even imagine how guilty I felt."

"It wasn't your fault," April murmured stroking Jason's hair.

"No, it was." Daddy sighed. "She was pregnant with my child. If I had—"

"There was nothing you could have done," April insisted.

"Okay, yeah. But I still felt guilty, so I started researching werewolf pregnancies. I was amazed with how much I found. I had known that for a werewolf impregnated with another werewolf's baby that the pregnancy would be about three months long. But I found that with a human body things would take longer to mature, while at the same time, with the baby being a werewolf, it would mature faster than a normal human baby. So, taking those two facts into consideration I found that Rosalie would have been given about five months after the time she was impregnated until she had to give birth. And, since she had already been here for three months, figuring that it had taken her about a month to find me, I found that we would only have one month to prepare."

April laughed. "The day you found that out was one hell of a day."

Daddy ignored her, going on. "So I kept reading on and I found out even more. Like how Rosalie would need to eat three times the amount of food a normal werewolf eats because she needs to supply enough food for her and the baby. And I learned that she would suffer contractions only on the day of the child's birth."

I nodded my head, openly listening for more information on my mother.

"Then I learned that it was highly unlikely that she would survive past giving birth."

This was the part I was dreading. Though I did know about my mother being dead all these years I was never told how, and more importantly, why. And to tell the truth, now that it had come down to the moment when I was going to learn the answers to those questions, I was scared. Just hearing it out loud was going to be a major eye opener. Like, wow, my mother really is dead. And although I never knew her, now knowing all these new things about her is going to make it even more heartbreaking when Daddy says _those words_.

"I didn't know if I should tell her," Daddy said. "And I was stuck having to make that impossible choice of whether it would be better to know that you're going to die or not to know for her. I turned to your Uncle Simon for help and, surprisingly, he had a good answer. He told me to ask myself what I would want. And then I knew what I had to do."

Daddy looked to April, who in turn looked down at Jason. "The next day I brought Rosalie breakfast and told her the truth. She took it well considering. She even had a couple requests: 1) She wanted April and I to be with her while she gave birth, and 2) she wanted me to promise to keep you safe no matter what happened. I agreed to everything on her list."

April looked up and gave me a smile. "During her last weeks she really became part of the family. She sat at the dinner table with us and joined in on the family movie nights. She was never without a smile those last two weeks."

"Then on May 18 at 9:12 pm you were born," Daddy said. "Surprisingly though, Rosalie didn't die right away. She held you first, gazing into your sky blue eyes. She would pat your full head of hair and run her fingers along your face. She let me hold you, too. I would take you from your mother's arms and you would settle into my arms and curl your fingers around mine. And as I gazed into your eyes and bounced your small body I would know that I loved you. I guess your mother saw it too because she insisted that I be the one to name you. And so I did. I told Rosalie that your name would be Cailey and when she asked why I told her it was because it reminded me of an old friend. She didn't press, just said the name Cailey was beautiful and she loved it." Daddy paused, then restarted, "For a while later, everyone came and visited you and your mom. The house was buzzing with excitement and we were all happy that Rosalie hadn't died—she had become somewhat of a beloved sister to us all.

"At about midnight I brought Rosalie a snack thinking that she might be hungry. I made my way into her room laughing and making jokes but when I saw the look on her face everything stopped. She had gone a sickly pale color and was gasping for breath. I could see every one of her veins making trails of blue up and down her arms. I think I chocked a little as I took in her appearance. I had hurried over to her, whispering soft words, racking my brain for information that I knew must be there, but she pushed me away. Her hands were burning hot and her eyes seemed to beg me to stay away. I couldn't help it, I started to cry. I hadn't thought I would have been that sad when she died, but as it happened, just thinking about what was sure to come moments from then, brought a pang to my chest. It was like losing my best friend. I tried to talk to her but she shushed me. Instead she kissed you lightly and handed you off to me. She watched with beady eyes as I took you from her arms and held you closely. Not until her eyes had closed and she was gone did she look away. But by then she was dead.

And there were the words.

From the couch April sniffled and said, "Rose really was like a sister to me."

No one had anything else to add so we all sat in silence. It was like the whole room was feeling the pain of my mother's death. Even me.

After a few minutes I felt a shuffle next to me and looked sideways to see Uncle Simon giving me a sad smile and opening his long arms for a hug. I relented and threw myself at him full force. It felt good to have some one. Especially right now while I was so confused. I know I had decided that Grandma Laurie was telling the truth and Daddy was lying, but after hearing my mother's story, I didn't want it to be that way. So I had to make a decision and like Daddy said he had done, I turned to Uncle Simon for help.

"Uncle Sam—uh, Simon?" I whispered, mentally hitting myself for getting his name wrong. It was going take some getting used to.

"Yeah," he whispered back.

"If I ask you a question will you tell me the truth?" I asked shyly. These were the kind of things that were hard for me. I mean, what of he said no? Then I would never have the courage to ask him a question like that again.

"Of course," he said looking kind of hurt that I would suggest other wise.

"I-is Daddy telling the truth? Am I really a w-werewolf?" I was bone numbingly terrified of what his answer would be. I didn't want to me a monster. I wanted to be a human that had a normal life and lived with normal people…I wanted a life like Demi's. She was a normal grown up probably with a normal family, and I wanted that.

"Hey, it's not so bad—you know, being a werewolf. It's a hell of a lot better than being a sorcerer!"

No, he was trying to soften the facts for me. I was a werewolf and it was going to be horrible. Would I have to change into a wolf now? Sleep in the woods? Eat raw meat?

"No!" I cried not really to Uncle Simon anymore, more of just to myself. Tears fell down my face and my nose got all stuffy. I wanted to kick and scream but I restrained because _would it trigger my animal side_ now that I have one?

"Oh, don't cry…" Uncle Simon patted my shoulder and held my hand.

I reached my decision as those stupid tears of mine fell down my cheeks.

"She was right and she was wrong," I said. It was out now and it felt right. Grandma Laurie was right, but only a little. She called Daddy a monster and maybe that was true, but I was one too then. We were both monsters; both werewolves. She said Daddy would hurt me but I didn't believe that, not anymore. My mother's story had changed that possibility. I mean, he could have killed both of us from the time he meet Rosalie, but he didn't. So no, Daddy wouldn't hurt me. Was he a liar? I don't think so. Though, I'm not sure on that one because he was for the first eight year of my life. And was Grandma Laurie right when she said I should join with her and _take them down? _No.

And that made what I did to her a little bit more bearable.

* * *

**R&R**


	15. Chapter 15

_**A/N: **_**Hey guys! It's been a long time. So sorry about the long wait. I know you all probably hate me for it. I have no excuse except laziness. But anyway I have another chapter here, ready for you! So, last time I didn't get as many reviews as I expected so this time it would be nice if I could hear from all of you. Just two words that's all! Please. Okay shout outs! **

**Thanks to **_**Bookninja15, Dawn Warr, BoOkWoRm040, Obssessedcrazedbookworm, BeachBallofLove, moon-called-princess (;D), suzi1811, and XNatisumiX **_**you all are amazing! Without your reviews I don't know how I would ever finish this fanfiction!**

_**Murry-2012: **_**Thanks for the review! 1) Cailey did do something to Lauren which may or may not result in her being hurt or worse. 2) Okay here's how the ages work: Cailey is eight, Derek and Simon are twenty-four, and Chloe and Tori are twenty-three. They were all separated seven years ago when they were sixteen or seventeen depending on who were talking about. But I see you have found a mistake in my planning. Your right Cailey should be seven really. I feel horrible about making such a stupid miscalculation. Sorry! Thanks for pointing it out, though. **

_**FireflyBlizzard: **_**Thanks for the review! To answer your question, when Aunt Lauren said "to take them down" she meant to kill the wolves. Sorry for the confusion! **

_**ChumChumMizzyLover: **_**Thanks for the review! 1) Derek and Chloe meeting may be next chapter! Ahhh! I haven't completely decided yet though so it's a maybe. 2) Chloe's memory loss is because of a certain deal she made…read more to find out! 3) Jason is participating in some really uncomfortable chizz. I'll explain it more in later chapters.**

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_**Disclaimer: **_**I do not own the Darkest Powers series.**

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** Previously:** _"Chloe, I want you to ask Tori and Kit about the plan. Don't let them shrug it off, make sure they tell you everything." I nodded my head cautiously, not sure what else to do. "Mason, you're coming with me."_

_Then she stomped over to Mason, grabbed his arm with a cobra-tight grip, and left in a wink._

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**(Chloe's POV)**

I gently threw myself down against the dull purple and white colored sheets on my bed. I curled into a tight little ball, pulling my heavy covers over my body. My left cheek was buried into my special light blue pillow. It had a nice familiar scent that always sent a wave of warmth through my body when I sniffed it. A scent not too sweet, but just enough to give you that tingling feeling in your stomach and make you feel at home. It was my favorite pillow; in fact, it was one of the few things Kit had said was mine before I lost my memory and woke up and that cold metal room.

I inhaled deeply.

Sometimes I wondered if it would be better if I didn't remember anything from before. You know what they say: ignorance is bliss. And I was pretty sure my life needed some bliss right about now. But there was no escaping. I needed to embrace the truth because that's really all I had. So.

Truth number 1: Everything was my fault.

Apparently all the sadness and stress that had been forced upon my family was because of me. I was the one who had made the deal with the demi-demon all those years ago and I was the one who had knowingly given my family this life. I had already partially figured that out, but hearing my fears being confirmed was like a blow to the stomach. It made me sick.

"Ughhh," I groaned. It was just like me to screw everything up. It reminded me of the time when I was a teenager on the run for the first time and Derek had chewed me out for leaving my "designated spot". It pained me to say that when he said I was nuisance, he must have been right.

I pulled my blankets over my head.

Truth number 2: The Cabal was looking for us.

It was the cabal the whole time. It was their lab that I was in and escaped from. Ever since we got away the Cabal has been in a mad-dash to find us and drag us back: feet first, heads dragging behind, arms dead at our sides. I wasn't informed, however, on why the Cabal wanted us so badly. I could only assume that it was because we were dangerous. Which we were—to them at least.

Truth number 3: We were planning on destroying the cabal.

That plan worked well, too, until we got captured and were forced into solitude.

I threw my blankets of my bed suddenly. The room was to hot to be cooped up inside a cotton death trap. I got up from my bed and made my way over to my window facing the driveway. I yanked the white curtains with frilly edges open and beamed in the sunlight. For a minute I felt like a plant getting all of its energy and food from the sun. I was filled with green goo that would replace my need to do mundane things like sleep and pee.

It was a glorious feeling, but like everything, it came to an end and the sun passed behind a gray cloud, putting a damper on my mood again. I unlocked the window and pushed it up. A soft breeze flew through the room, blowing my hair against my neck. I wondered what it would be like jump from my window and land on the ground with a hard splat. It would probably be painful. There would be blood. A dramatic death indeed. _I would be following in my uncles footsteps. _But then I took a big step way from the window and covered my eyes. Bad thoughts led to bad actions.

"Humph." I uncovered my eyes and took a step toward my bed just as my cell let out a sharp _ping! _I raced to my phone, happy for the distraction. I picked up the warm hunk of metal from the inside wrappings of my covers. Sliding open the screen, I found a big golden envelope displayed across the screen with the pulsing words shouting to me _NEW MESSAGE! _I tapped the open button with my thumb. The top of my screen told me it was from Jen and the bottom told me, _"I'll b there in 5" _I scoffed at here incompetence to write out whole words. Was it that hard to write "be" instead of "b"?

I didn't bother texting her back. It would be a complete waste of a text. Jen would be here in five minutes whether I liked it or not. It was one of those annoying things that she did. She had a mind like a rock; once she was determined to do something no one could convince her otherwise. That's was also how she ended up in so many bad relationships.

So, in my remaining amount of alone time, I slept. I crawled back over to my bed, changing my mind about it being too hot for blankets, and fell asleep with my covers pulled to my chin.

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"Rise and shine, my dear!"

"_No,_ I donwanna."

"Come on, Demi, get up! I brought Chinese," Jen said, luring me out of bed with the smells of egg rolls and wanton soup.

"Mmm." I sat up and opened my eyes so I could just barely make out the shape of my best friend sitting on the opposite side of my bed, fishing out boxes and setting them on my lap. I opened the first box and the sweet, sweet smell of General Tso's chicken burst through my nose. I lifted the box to my face and breathed in. deeply.

"Here, try a fork." Jen tossed me a fork. I gladly took it, and started to power through my food. It tasted even better than it smelled. Chinese food was the perfect cure for a bad day. I took three more bites down in one big gulp.

"Slow down, girl. Don't you know that eating fast makes you fat?" I hadn't known that and just to show her how much I cared, I stabbed my biggest piece of chicken and stuffed it into my mouth.

Jen shook her head disapprovingly. "Well, don't come crying to me when you're as big as a house and want to go work out at the gym. You know my policy." Of course, her _policy_. Jen had this thing about exercising. If it involved physical activity, she wouldn't do it. Not that she had to anyway. For some reason the gods decided to bless her with the gift of an extremely high metabolism. I, on the other hand, was stuck going to the gym three times a week just to work off my dinners. Not that I am one of those super skinny air-eaters. No, but I had to stay fit. Who knew when I would have to drop everything and go back to a life on the run? I had to be ready. But all of that lead me the Red Rose High School gym. It was the only gym in the city, and it stunk stunk, literally. Furthermore it was only open from three to eight and was constantly filled with loud chattering high schoolers at all hours. Luckily, I recently made the switch to a better gym a few cities away. Sure it would take longer to get to—not to mention the cost just might make me go bankrupt—but it should be worth it. I was planning on trying it out tomorrow, but now, due to even more recent events, I wasn't so sure.

"So," I said to Jen who was slowly picking it her fried rice. "What's up?"

"Oh, you know, just hanging around." She set down her plastic fork and dabbed at her already clean mouth.

"Really," I said, doubtful. It wasn't a rare occurrence to have her drop by, but she always had a story to tell. Whether it was "You'll never believe who I just hooked up with." or "Oh my God I just saw the cutest little animal get run over!" she always had something to say.

And so you can also understand my worry when her answer was a flat, "Yep…" and then nothing more.

"There's _nothing_ you wanted to talk about?" I asked, insisting that there had to be more. I set down my fork and looked her in the eye. After all, your eyes are the window to your soul. And right now her windows were dirty and unclear. I wanted to take a big towel and an extra large bottle of window cleaner to her eyes and wash away all of her thoughts blocking me from the truth.

"No." She filled her mouth with orange chicken from yet another box. She chewed, acted nonchalant, and even gave me a reassuring smile. For a second though something dropped in her masquerade. Something small and unnoticeable to an untaught eye, but my eyes were trained police dogs. They could smell trouble a mile away and notice even the smallest most covered flaws.

But I let it drop.

If it was important enough, Jen would tell me on her own. I didn't want to be a prier. Her silly problems (which were what I called anything that didn't have to do with evil scientist or mutated beings) were her own business, which I could worry about if she ever presented me with them. Until then I would drop them like the hot potatoes that they were.

"So do you want to do something? I can put a jacket on and we could go bowling…or…something. What?" While I was talking Jen's face had slowly slid down to her bag that hung lightly off her shoulders. She was fumbling with it, prying open its zipper and pulling out a small, nine by nine inch, tan folder. She bit her lip and looked up at me with her signature "I am_ so _sorry" look. Oh. So now I knew what this random, out of the blue friendship dinner was about.

"What's this?" I asked taking the folder from her hands, already knowing what two words I would find written across the top of the page. _Cailey Sauller_. I peered at Jen accusingly.

"I'm sorry, I know how you don't like to do work on your days off but the firm kept bugging me about it." She's right, she did know about my pure hatred for off of work work. It was my least favorite task, to put it lightly. But of course I knew this was what she would show me. Work. And like every other time I would bend to her sweet looks and charming voice. She would get her damned papers, but it would leave me in a grumpy mood for the rest of her visit.

"Fine," I snarled. "But I get to keep the Chinese food." I snatched the box of orange chicken from her lap and sat it hard on my nightstand.

"Whatever makes you happy," she smiled.

Jen grabbed a pen from my desk than sat it on my lap. I opened the folder and shifted though the papers. "Okay let's start with this page," I said—to myself. The diagnosis page was always the easiest and hardest page to fill out. It involved so much thought, but few words. Like how the behavior of one child could be summarized into one—_maybe two_—words. It was scary to think you might be changing someone's life by the things you wrote on that one, fairly small, page.

The words that asked questions were small and black. Big blank spaces were left untouched obviously meant for me to fill. And the first question cut right to the chase: Patient diagnoses?

I wrote my answer in small, curt letters that filled less than half of the space given. That was how I answered the rest of the questions, too. Giving long drawn out answers wasn't really my style. And the faster it was finished the faster I could push Jen from my house and sulk in my free Chinese food; fattening myself additionally for my looming date with a treadmill.

Thirty minutes later I had answered every question. Written every adjective. And turned all pages. _I was done._

I looked up to Jen with tiredness that I hoped showed her how unappreciative I was of her gift. I hoped it showed her that if she ever tried this again I wouldn't hesitate to fire her sorry butt.

"Oh, hun! I am so sorry. No more paper work for you! I promise that next time I will wait. And here: take fifty bucks and go buy yourself something sweet to make up for my lack of sensitivity," Jen said sweetly, pulling her bag off her shoulders and shoveling money into my hands.

Well…not really. That was just my imagination running wild with the hope that my best friend might show some concern towards me. When really her response was this: "What's _your_ problem?"

Then everything just built up in me and exploded. I was like a frail little leaf barely attached to its tree and after so many big burst of wind hitting me, I just fell. I told her all of my worries. I told her all of my secrets—I told her everything. I started at day one—the day I saw my first ghost—and blubbered all the way to that afternoon—when Kit and Tori had explained everything to me. She held my hand and didn't interrupt me, even when my sobs become too hard for her to understand the meaning of the words behind them.

"Demi," she cooed. She still called me Demi even though I had leaked my real name along with everything. I preferred it that way though. It gave me a nice sense of security; like she would keep up my false pretenses.

"I'm just…so…confused," I cried.

"I know, honey, I know." Her eyes squinted at me and she squeezed me hand giving me a reassuring push. "So tell me again. Why did you make a deal with a demon?"

I huffed, rolling my blood shot eyes. "A demi-demon. Not a demon. They are two very different things," I clarified. She nodded her head indifferently. "I made the deal because the cabal had captured us again. But that time it was for good. We were just days away from being killed. If I hadn't made the deal…"

"And by _we_ you mean…?"

I looked at her curiously. "Kit, Tori, Aunt Lauren, Simon, and Derek, of course." I had already told her who everyone was. It was odd that she had had to ask again.

"And you knew you guys would be split in half if you made the deal. Correct?"

"I knew there was a possibility of that happening, yes."

"But you still went along with your little "plan" which, by the way, was already screwed up. You called on your former demi-demon friend Diriel who hadn't gotten to finish her last task for you therefore giving you a freebie, to help you with your plan, but when you made that call it wasn't her you got."

"Well, yeah." I nodded.

"Instead, you found Astuliap, who had been sent to you after Diriel was killed for unknown reasons. Right?"

"Y-yeah," I said, wavering.

"And now you are split from your friends. Half and half. But you are protected. The cabal can't locate any of you because of a spell the demon has put on all of you in part of the deal. And with that, you say your powers slowly decreased, until you couldn't see ghosts at all anymore. Until now."

I didn't know what to say. She had pretty much summed everything up. My life in a matter of minutes.

"No, but wait," she interrupted. "Let me rewind a little. You told everyone your plan before you set it into action. They complained, said it was too risky. Yet you went behind there backs and made the deal anyway." Jen was leaning in close to me. Her words were soft but viscous all the same. She flicked part of her bangs away to reveal her perfectly hidden, still clouded eyes. "Not to mention that you knew the risks. You knew you might lose your memory. Or that one half of the group might not be completely, one hundred percent safe. The half that wasn't connected with_ you_."

"That's what Kit and Tori told me." I gulped. I hated to think about what I had done. I knew it was horrible and there was nothing that could justify it.

"I can't decide whether you're a God given genius or the most selfish bitch I have ever met," Jen declared.

Then she giggled.

"But if you think that's going to change anything than your crazy. I mean, you must have had some reason for doing all of that crap." She suddenly grasped my hands, crushing my fingers together and imprinting her fingertips into mine. "I know you, Demi. And I know you would never do something like that without a good reason."

_But I had had a reason_, I wanted to yell. They were all going to die and if I hadn't done something then we would have only had days to live. But then again, I knew, somewhere way back in my mind, that that was just an excuse. We had gotten ourselves out of bigger things before. So there must have been a reason that I was so adamant on getting out _right then_.

"Well." Jen sighs. "I better get going. I've got to work the late shift at Fabio Wang while Becca is out sick with the flu. But call me, okay? If you need anything?" Jen got up grabbing her bag and Cailey's file from my bed. I had completely forgotten about her second job working at a bar downtown. Sometimes it was so easy to just drift away from the reality of life.

I got up to give Jen a goodbye and we hugged openly like best friends should do. The moment was nice. She said goodbye again reminding me about my early appointments tomorrow, and then left. I was alone with my thoughts again.

I shuffled over to the window and saw Jen walking out of the front door already on her phone again. All thought s of me floating out of her head as she gushed about the new guy at work, probably. She was like a race car, once she passed one car she was on to the next, not sparing a second glance to make sure the car she had just rammed into was okay. She threw her car door open and squished herself into her little seat. I watched her jab her keys into the ignition and then race out of the drive way. Yep. Just like a race car.

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I fell asleep again only to be awoken by a poking finger with razor sharp nails. I sat up in bed crumpling napkins and shuffling Chinese boxes. I stared blankly at the figure towering above me.

"You should really clean this room. It's a mess," Tori informed me, as if I hadn't already known. I had been meaning to clean it that afternoon, but then again I had been planning to do a lot of things.

"Uh-huh." I waited for her to get to the point.

She sighed, kicking cloths around my floor to show her obvious disappointment in my inability to keep my room spotless. "Kit brought us dinner. Thought you might want some pizza, seeing as you're all traumatized and everything. But considering the looks of this room it seems you've already fended for yourself. Found yourself a little something to tide you over." She gave a pointed look towards Jen's empty bag of egg rolls and boxes of noodles.

I smiled up at her, trying to hide the fact that I was groggy and not in a particularly good mood. "Thanks, Tori. I'll be down in a minute."

"Yeah, whatever." She gave one last kick to a pill of my dirty laundry and left the room. I guess I wasn't the only one feeling grumpy this evening.

I picked myself off the bed combing through my dresser drawers for a clean shirt, then pants, and then underwear. I took them all to the bathroom where I took a quick shower to rinse off. Ten minutes later I stumbled down the stairs and into the kitchen with fresh cloths and clean hair pulled back in a tight pony tail.

I gave a small, passive wave to Kit and stalked straight to the pizza. It was the good kind. The kind that made your mouth water and your nose run because the sweet smells radiating off of it were like heaven. It had meat to balance the vegetables and sauce to balance the cheese. What more could a girl need? I plowed through three slices before stopping to think about how many hours at the gym this was going to mean for me. When I finished I joined Tori and Kit at the table instead of just hovering around like I had done while eating.

"You don't think it could mean…?" Kit asked Tori who sat only a mere foot away. She had her legs curled up on her chair, one foot resting on the table where she was expertly painting her toe nails in a dark blue color the shade of the night sky. I hadn't noticed before, but outside it was storming like there would be no end. Tree branches flung rapidly around the sky and rain pelted the house as if yelling at us in an angry rage.

"I don't know. Maybe…" Tori replied, taking a peek up at me as I sat down. "It makes sense I guess. With everything else that's been going on. It would explain a lot."

"Especially Chloe's memories suddenly returning," Kit deliberated. He took his right hand and dragged it through his short, almost spiky, hair.

And then like a rocket bursting off of earth I was sucked back into a vortex of swirling colors and sounds that flew and danced and jumped. My body felt like it was being twisted and turned, molding me into another form. The pain was excruciating, blinding! And then it was gone. And I was watching myself again, _another memory_, like Kit had put it only seconds ago.

Me—the younger version of myself—was in a room. Much like the one I had escaped from: metal, cold. Only in this room the younger me was not alone. In the far corner next to where the younger me stood was Derek. He was tall like always and had a glare set in his eyes that meant his was out to kill.

"_No, Chloe. I won't let you do this," Derek roared. "Do you even understand the consequences this stupid little idea could have?"_

The younger me was about to answer when the furious Derek cut her off.

"_No. Of course you don't! Because if you did we wouldn't be having this conversation!"_

Derek paced back and forth and I became aware of another part of the picture. I saw Kit and Aunt Lauren. They were huddled together in the opposite corner of the room talking in hushed tones. Then below them, at their feet, were Tori and Simon, looking distressed and defeated like this fight between us was a regular occurrence that was getting old.

"_I will just have you know, Derek," the younger me shouted. "That I understand every consequence that may come from this situation. Good or bad." _

Derek scoffed at the younger me, quickening his pace with every word that I spat from my mouth.

"_And like your plan is _so _much better," the younger me retorted._

"_Of course it is!" Derek yelled, finally ending his incessant pacing, coming to a stop before me. "With my plan you get out alive and healthy. Two things not promised in your dumb scheme. And haven't you learned not to trust those damn demi-demons yet, Chloe?" _

The younger me sucked in a large gulp of air to shout out another reply, but then a great and bulky metal door flew open throwing each of them into panic mode. Derek grabbed at the younger me, thrusting her behind his back while the others scrambled to their feet and stood in ready positions. But it was all for nothing. With one swift hand gesture our defenses fell. Each one of them: Simon, Kit, Tori, Aunt Lauren, and Derek dropped to the ground like dead flies. Except for the younger me. I stood high above everyone, for once, the tallest person in the room. And then lightening quick, faster than I knew I could even go, the younger me knelt down to Derek and with soft, tender, (dare I say) loving, words I spoke: _"Be ready to move out at any time. I'm not exactly sure how it will happen. Tell everyone I love them and that I'll miss them. See you on the other side."_

And then once again I was hurdling through a vortex of colors and sounds; movement without picture and thought without voice. The squeezing started again and I did my best not to scream. When I woke up, I was back in the real world with Kit and Tori hanging over me, swaying back and forth.

Somehow I managed not to barf.

And for the third time that day, I drifted off to sleep…

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This time I kind of jumped awake instead of slowly waking up. My senses heightened and then settled back down. My fingers twitched a little from the speedy start.

"Kit, she's up," Tori announced from…somewhere.

"It's about time," Kit said.

I opened my eyes to see them walking towards me, one with a look of eagerness and craft and the other with worry and attentiveness. It was sweet to know that at least someone cared. Kit was like the father I had never had, or should I say the second father—the first one that paid attention to me though.

"How do you feel? Woozy? Sick? Tori go get her some water," Kit said taking on his in-control tone.

"I feel fine Kit, really," I said trying to deflect the anger I could already feel coming from Tori about being told what to do in her own house.

"That's good, but last time—"

"Seriously, I'm good. I think my body's starting to get used to mental disturbances after all these years."

"Well, we should hope so." Kit laughed. I smiled at his slowly growing ease. Tori walked back in with a glass of water filled to the rim with ice and even a lemon hanging off the side. She handed it to me along with a brightly colored cloth napkin and a straw.

"Um, thanks Tori. This is really kind."

"Yeah? Better not get used to it. I had to make up for ruining your new shoes somehow." She shrugged a complete picture of smoothness.

I gasped at her. "I was saving those for something special!" I whined. They were simple black heels with a small, sexy black lace trimmed bow that would fit perfectly with any one of my nonexistent dresses.

"Chloe, the last time you did something special was eight year ago when you and—"

Kit roughly cut her off with an impromptu cough and a rude look. I listened helplessly, not remembering this _special _night from oh-so-many years ago.

"Anyway," Kit said, redirecting the subject. "We just wanted to make sure you were okay considering what happened after your last…_fit_."

"Well I can assure that I am fine," I said defiantly, giving Tori not-so-discreet glares. The room had taken an awful turn into silence.

"So I think my memoires are coming back," I said trying to change the too-quite-for-quite atmosphere.

Taking my lead, Kit regained his position as the talker and started to boast his words once again. "Yes, it seems so. If I may ask, what was this memory about?"

I fiddled with my fingers for a minute trying to find a way to word my strange memory. At last I said, "Well, I saw me and Derek—"

"Oh God, she remembers," Tori complained suddenly. She was sitting on the couch beside me with her dark blue toes sparkling. She had he head in her hands and she looked suspiciously like she was trying to pull her hair out. I was, of course, surprised by this reaction. I know we must have grown obnoxious after a while with all of our fighting but we couldn't have done it that much. Not enough to make her this distressed over it.

"I swear, if I ever see you and him like that again I will personally take a knife to my throat and sever my head so I can die with my eyes disconnected from my body."

"What?"

"You and wolf-boy going at it like that. It's just disgusting. I don't even want to hear about it!" Then she got up and left the room, darting down her stairs into her bedroom. Thunder crackled as she slammed her door shut, adding a flare to the dramatic effect.

Kit then turned to her with his arms held out as if in an exasperated way. "Chloe, I know this must by hard for you to—"

"Why are you both getting so worked up over a stupid fight between us? The one thing I do remember about Derek and I is that we were always getting into fights. What's the big deal?" I demanded.

A look of confusion passed on his face, subsiding to relief. "Oh, Chloe, sorry—I thought. Well I thought you were talking about something else."

He sighed. "Okay, what else did you see?"

"Um," I retold him the basics of my memory, watching as his forehead became increasingly more wrinkled and old aged. His lips were fastened into a tight line. _Oh no_, I thought,_ what is it now?_

"What? What's wrong?"

"You know the deal you made with the demi-demon?" he asked, his voice now low.

The wind outside howled like wolves in the forest. The rain pelted harder. Lightening stoke down in the distant. The sky, the exact shade of Tori's nail polish, raged in the night storm.

"Yes."

"I think it's wearing off. And if it is, then we'll be back to packing our bags and running for our lives." We both jumped as his voice faded out and lightening burst right outside the living room window. Then slowly, each light and electric appliance in the house shut down. And we were left in the darkness.

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_**A/N: **_**Okay guys. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! It answered a lot of questions I hope. AND: I know there are a lot of you reading this because I know how many people have subscribed. So if you're out there please review! Don't be shy! Ask as many questions as you can because I need to figure our which questions I still haven't answered! So please, please, please review! It would mean the world to me and it'll help the end of this story come along A LOT smother! (Please review.) **


	16. Chapter 16

_**A/N: **_**Hey guys! It's nice being back. So sorry for such a long break, school was long and I've been working to juggle friends, family, reading time, and writing time. Summer is here though and I've spent the last four days writing and editing the next two chapters in the story! See way below for more info on when the next chapter will come out. Now, information on THE DEREK QUESTION: ****when****will Derek meet Chloe? ****I have an answer that I can say with absolutely certainty. He will meet her within the next four chapters (that is, either in this chapter or the following three). Don't be mad, just listen. I know what chapter the meet will be in but I don't want to give it away, so keep a watchful eye out for it. Okay? Good. Now to Shout outs! Woo-hoo!**

**Bookninja15: Thanks for the review! In your review you asked if Jen was a supernatural or not, and the answer is no. Hope you like the chapter! **

**Suzi1811: Thanks for the review! Death to Lauren! (I agree with not liking her, but I wont tell you what happened with her.) ;)**

**MarieOrtiz: Thanks for the review! I most likely will write a chapter in Derek's POV. **

**FireflyBlizzard: Thanks for the review! In your review you asked if Jen was a supernatural or not, and the answer is no. They might meet in this chapter…you'll see! Yes, Scarlet's POV will be coming up…at some point. What happened to Jason will be further discussed, yes. And, I won't tell you what happened with Aunt Lauren. Sorry!**

**Murrey-2012: Thanks for the review! Chloe and Derek might meet in this chapter…you'll see!**

**Dawn War: Thanks for the review! Cailey might go to see Demi again soon, read on and find out! **

**Alily123: Thanks for the review! Chloe and Derek might meet in this chapter…you'll see!**

**ChumChumMizzyLover: Thanks for the review! Kit doesn't tell her about Derek because how weird would that be? Would you want to know about a boyfriend you had but can't remember and might never meet? What happened to Jason will be further discussed…later. **

**DramaQueen-who-loves-romance: Thanks for the review! Chloe and Derek might meet in this chapter…you'll see!**

**To **_**BoOkWoRm040, SweetDreamzz3116, Eruaphadriel, Animeteen221, SeddieBangelandWarriors4eva, Strue2233, BookandHorseLover, moon-called-princess (;D), Twilight Gleek, **_**and**_** Immortalfantasylover **_**Thanks for the reviews!****You guys are the best, most precious reviewers a girl could ever have!**

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_**Disclaimer: **_**I do not own Darkest Powers.**

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_**Previously: **_

**"I think it's wearing off. And if it is, then we'll be back to packing our bags and running for our lives." We both jumped as his voice faded out and lightening burst right outside the living room window. Then slowly, each light and electric appliance in the house shut down. And we were left in the darkness.**

* * *

I sat down at work the next day tired and dirty. The electricity still hadn't come back on so I was forced to come in with gross, frizzy hair and pits that stunk of sweat. I had done my makeup in the car throwing on whatever I could manage without getting in crash and having to be thrown in the hospital with severe injuries. So with that said, my face looked like a puddle of colors. Very professional. At least I knew my client—being an eight year old—wouldn't resent me for it.

I tapped my keyboard trying to trick my brain into thinking I was busy. Though, truthfully, my morning had been rather slow. No more life changing facts. Just a very quiet house.

After the power had quit working, Tori had paraded upstairs out of the basement and declared that she would be staying at Kits house for the night and left. Not bothering to ask Kit if he minded. At least Tori had had a nice night. Kit left a short while after, mumbling off reasons why he had to leave. I understood. Tori alone in a nice apartment like his? There could be trouble. Kit just might walk in on a heated make out session between Tori and the boy who lived down the hall. I wasn't judging—much—but I could recall similar situations. I stayed by myself to keep watch. Never know when a burglar might feel like dropping by to steal all of our valuables. Not that I could stop a burglar if he did. Possibly I could get a punch in, but most burglars I knew were bigger and tougher than me.

_Tap tap tap. _I kept writing out pretend sentences. When I stopped I would start to think. And right now there were too many difficult things to think about. _Tap tap tap_. Could Kit be right? Could the plan I had been so sure of seven years ago be fading? Dying? _Tap tap tap. _Was that why I could suddenly start seeing ghosts again? Was that why Mason showed up? Was that the reason why I could see Liz after all of these years? Where were Mason and Liz now anyway? _Tap tap. _Did I know that the deal I made with this Astuliap girl was going to fade one day? Did the younger me decide that getting out of the Cabal's grasp was worth the risk? _Tap. _In my memory, didn't Derek say that he had a plan? Why didn't we use his plan? I seemed pretty upset about it, but if I remember right, his plans always seemed to get us out safely. _Ta—_

"Miss Soulia?"

I looked up, my eyes locked on the door. I waited for the voice to get closer, to see a person walk through the closed door. But the knob didn't move; it stayed shut. The door, drenched in a pale wooden color, seemed to smile at my ignorance. _Stupid_, it said, _You idiot. No one's at the door…pick up the PHONE!_ Now, I knew that the door wasn't really talking (and if it could talk, why would it choose me to talk to me?), but that's what happens when your brain is so clogged that you can't think rational things. The inanimate objects around you do.

"Miss Soulia," the phone chimed once more, and the coffee mug on my desk whispered to me, _pick it up._

I rubbed my eyes giving myself a few pats (okay, so the pats were more like slaps, but I'm not one to admit to self abuse) to snap out of it. I poured hot chocolate in my mouth, swishing it around like minty fresh mouthwash, and in my stupor, it took me several seconds before I realized what the tingling, almost sizzling sensation was, forming on the roof of my mouth and all over my tongue. Of course, my first reaction was to act like one of those fancy, over-paid clowns at the circus and spray my drink everywhere; but as my brain reluctantly floated back to me, I realized that that may not be the best solution. Instead, I quickly swallowed the burning drink, cursing the person who gave it to me, because obviously they would have thought to put it on my desk knowing that I would take a huge searing gulp of that fire trap.

"Ahhh!" I wiped my mouth with a napkin reading dunkin' donuts. My mouth still burned and my head was spinning and the phone was shouting "Miss Soulia? Miss Soulia!" But for a moment I could block it all out. Three sputtering breathes escaped from my lips, meant to calm my wobbling head. And on the fourth exhale my brain had succeeded in putting away all the mental garbage floating around in my brain. "Miss Soulia!" Jen shouted at me, on the verge of a scream, yet being her stubborn little self she refused to break character, only acting as my receptionist. So instead of having her call nine one one on me, I decided that I'd take a try at answering the phone. Besides, the police wouldn't be sympathetic to my kind of condition. I might even windup in another "mental home." And that was so not worth the trouble it took to pick up the phone.

I picked up the black phone by the handle, grasping it with white fingers. "Yes, I'm here, sorry. Sorry." Jen took in a sharp breathe after hearing my still voice. I guess she had been expecting me to answer screaming and on the verge of death. Trust me, I would have preferred that too. Then at least I would have had an excuse as to why I hadn't been picking up the phone. I was not so sure "I was having a mental break down" would work.

"You have a call on line one," she said strictly in her no nonsense voice. My eyes scrunched up feeling like a puppy that had just been found peeing on the carpet. She was really mad. Though, knowing her, it would blow over in an hour or two. She could never stay mad at me more than twenty-four hours. Not that she had ever had to…I would always come running back to her with flowers and chocolates like the lame prom date that forget to call the limo service and request a car.

"Sorry," I said once more, then transferred my call over to line one. "Hello?" I asked, drumming my fingers on my desk.

"Uh, yeah, Miss Soulia?" a woman's voice asked. Her tone was soft but with an edge, tough but sweet. Defiantly no one I had ever heard before.

"Yes," I replied sweetly.

"I'm calling for Cailey Sauller." My attention was caught and I stirred, sitting straighter in my seat staring circles at my phone. "She won't be able to make it in today." I brushed back my hair with a swift hand.

"And you are?" I asked only slightly accusingly. Millions of questions floated through my brain. _"What happened?" "Did Cailey get hurt?" "Why won't she be here?" _Reasonable, right? I thought so. But then I remembered that I was only Cailey's therapist, not her mother, and in all actuality, I wasn't even related to her. Granted, yes, therapists played important roles in many peoples lives, but I had only known her—what, two? Three days?—maybe if I had been with her for a month or two I could ask those kind of questions, but not yet. Sadly. Look at me, sounding like a ditzy teenager.

But that had gotten my little garbage filled head thinking…_who _am_ I talking to?_ Cailey had already told me she had no mother and without some kind of formal permission from her father I wasn't allowed to cancel her appointments. Plus, I secretly didn't want to cancel. Not because I had a practical excuse, but for my own pettish reasons. I wanted someone to talk to. Jen was there but…not there, like a ghost. Though, more recently, ghosts had been showing to be better—or should I say more attentive?—listeners than her. All I could do was reassure myself that Jen was Jen and that was why I loved her. She didn't pay too close attention to things; she had a short attention span. That way it was easier to get myself out of sticky situations concerning the supernatural things she shouldn't know. But now even that reassurance was gone. With all my life's secrets spread out in her palm I had nothing. And my time with Cailey was my escape away from all of that. I couldn't let go of that, too.

"I'm her aunt, April Moore," The woman said with absolutely no hesitation. From what I remembered Cailey had said that her uncle was in town, so possibly that could be his wife. Oh, what had she said was his last name? Was it Moore?

"Just one second, Mrs. Moore." I set aside the phone. I was feeling more and more down to earth every second this call lasted. It was somehow bringing me back to reality. Under my desk in a folder were my basic training rules on how to cancel appointments. I pulled it out scanning the sheet to see if what this woman was asking for was, well, legal. I didn't need a state problem on top of my quickly growing personal ones.

"Mrs. Moore?" I asked, picking back up the phone. My eyes landed on rule number eight, the first sentence.

"Yes, I am here," she responded curtly.

"In the case that you are looking to cancel an appointment, the mother or father of the client must be the one to cancel," I read. "Unless, of course, the parent has given another legal guardian permission to end the session, in which case I would need some kind of formal letter with a signature from either parent saying for me to allow the discharge of custody from parent to guardian." I flipped a piece of stringy hair from my face. The heat in the room was making my hair even greasier than before and sweat was starting to pool under my arms.

"Oh," she said. I sank back into my chair waiting for her goodbye so I could sneak into the staff bathrooms and soak myself down in wet paper towels. I was starting to feel relieved for the first time today. That was, until she said, "So what would happen if she just doesn't show up?"

I nervously tapped my toe against my desk. Even they felt heavy and hot. _Could I be getting sick?_ I wondered. Too much stress could cause you to run a fever, and God knows I've had a junk load of stress to deal with in these past few days...

I shook all thoughts of being sick form my head and answered Mrs. Moore's question hoping that the company's rules would save me in this case. "You would still be charged for the session. And you would receive a letter in the mail notifying the parents about the missed appointment." The walls tucked in closer to me. I curled my toes in little balls so I couldn't see the cracked pink color mocking me. My eyes rested lightly shut.

"Well, that sounds reasonable," she said. My head slammed backwards into my chair as I clamped my teeth down on my tongue. My eyes popped open, spinning, tears forming. _Sounds reasonable?_ "Cailey won't be coming today. Or next week. I'm sure Lucas will get around to telling you at some point but—what the hell!—I might as well tell you now. Lucas has decided to end Cailey's therapy sessions." She paused for good measure. I think, letting me soak up the fact before speaking again. "Well, it was nice talking to you. Goodbye, Miss Soulia." The phone clicked off.

My foot stopped tapping and I froze. Cailey wasn't coming back? My one solace was…quitting? Gone. What would I use as a distraction from my messed up life now? Tori wasn't the best at comforting, she was more likely to tell me to deal with my own shit because she had enough of her own.

And would I ever see her again? Her only being a child surely I would run into her somewhere. But would she remember me? Two short days in her long, hopefully fulfilling, life really weren't much. Minutes drifted by as I processed. Thoughts came in my mind, took a fun joy ride through my body, gave my trembling limbs that wouldn't settle no matter how long I sat on them, and then plopped back down on the sofa that had been placed in my head for all my unwanted thoughts and feelings. Finally, after what I had concluded to be hours later, I came to a hard conclusion: I would have to except it.

No one would understand my…compulsion towards that girl—not even I did. Because there was something about her that drew me to her. Not in some weirdo, creeper way, but almost motherly. And having her gone would be like another piece of me was falling away. Away with all of the lost memories of my past. And I would have to let it. For now at least. I had bigger things to focus on; like a magical spell that was once set by a demon being released. We might have to move, start over again. Still running from the elusive Cabal. And you know what really stunk? I didn't remember how bad they were. I was getting little glimpses into what happened but Tori and Kit—they were sugar coating it. To them small, baby Chloe couldn't handle the full truth. But then, worse than that: they were right.

* * *

With Cailey not coming in I was free to go. I wasn't sure where, but anything was better than sitting alone in my office.

I passed Jen on the way out of the building. She was sitting at her desk reading a magazine, Vogue or People would be my best guess. She liked the style columns and was known for her up to date gossip on…everyone, ranging from Hollywood stars to the janitors that worked in the buildings across the street. We both had different views on that. She said it was a benefit that everyone would be lucky to have, but I disagreed. I complained that it was a liability. Truth is power, as they say, and with power comes danger. If you asked me, any one with too much power was dangerous. But what I had to ask myself was, did that mean anyone without knowledge, or at least truthful knowledge, was powerless? Because if that was what it meant, than I was in some big trouble. No one seemed to want to give me any truthful knowledge.

Sometime while I was driving I made the decision to head home—subconsciously. I didn't even know until I found myself on a familiar route looking out at perfectly landscaped gardens. A deep yearning set in on me begging for a yard like that. Maybe the house didn't have to be so ostentatious, slightly smaller too, but the yard. With its beautiful flowers starting to wilt with fall's first drifts of cold and it vivid green grass that would sway gently in the wind. A mother and two children played outside on the porch of a big house with flowing gardens of green and blue and yellow. One of the kids—a small boy, jumped off the steps tumbling though the dirt and bushes to spread out on the grass. The other child, a slightly older girl, held back. But in her eyes, you could see her hunger for fun. I was so ready to push her off the porch and yell to her "Go on now! Have fun." But then I saw the reason for her caution. The mother stomped off, marching towards the boy, shouting at him to get up. The boy looked shocked at first; not knowing what was going on and then the first few drops of tiny crystal tears leaked from his eyes and you could tell that he was sorry. He had just wanted to have fun but he hadn't wanted his mother mad. He carried himself away into the house and I hit the gas pedal a little harder than I should have sending me flying forward.

The gardens were still beautiful but what I had just witnessed was cruel. Useless really. When I had my garden I would be sure to allow my children to play in it whenever they liked. Though that reminded me that I might never have my own children…or garden. I might be dead. We would need a plan if we were to get out of this mess with our lives.

I rammed the engine harder. It was time for a family meeting.

* * *

It was one o'clock by the time I got home. It may have been fall but the house was as hot as you-know-where mid July. Thankfully someone had come by and opened the windows letting some cool air in. As fast as I could, I raced upstairs and took a quick shower. I had called Tori and Kit on the way home and told them to meet me here, but they were both out and about doing who knows what and they said it would take them at the very least thirty minutes to get back. Which gave me just enough time to pretty myself up. I couldn't go about saving the world without clean, shiny hair and a swipe of mascara.

"Chloe?" concerned voice one yelled. Hopefully a concerned voice two would follow instead of pissed voice. But luck had never been my friend, or karma, now that I thought of it.

"You better have one hell of an excuse. I swear you pull me from my important…" Her voice didn't fade: I blocked it from my head. I was sitting on kitchen counter eating the store brand pop-tarts that tasted like dirt, chewing heavily and swallowing hard when they walked in. Tori, as you could tell, was not in the best mood. That was partly my fault, I admitted. I had kind of purposely left out the point of the whole we-have-to-meet-right-now-or-else family meeting. Bu it was nice that for once I was the one withal the information and not them; for once I was the one with power.

"I'm in here!" I shouted. My feet thundered to the floor, ringing from the shock of plastic wood hitting my bare toes. I tossed the ends of my pop-tart in the trash, all that was left was the crust and everyone knew that—even in the good pop-tarts—was not worth the strength it took to chew.

Tori walked in dramatically throwing down her bag. "Well, how was your day? Good, I trust."

"Mmm-hmm," I mumbled. "Not really, but that's why we're here!" I smiled trying to bring my positive Shirley Temple attitude to the suddenly frigid room.

"So I can have a sucky day along with you?" She raised her eyebrow. "I'll pass."

The green notebook I had picked out for the meeting was sitting on the counter and I chose now to introduce my idea. "Kit, Tori," I nodded my head at each of them. "As you both pointed out to me last night I—no, we, could all be in mortal danger." Was that putting it to deep? I didn't think so but by the way Tori rolled her eyes I wasn't so sure. Blood rushed to my cheeks and I spoke over my humiliation. "So I figured we should devise a plan. Now is the perfect opportunity to pack up and leave and, personally, I think we should." I stood my ground waiting for one of them—most likely Tori, to object. My lip turned red as I bit down, chewing.

"Why do you suppose this is the perfect time for us to leave," she asked. Both of her penciled eyebrows were raised to a point and her nail was making fine circles in her skin.

I took a gulp because, furtively, I still had a little fear of Tori and her mean, piercing looks. The way she could always intimidate me was one of those things I could still remember. That most defiantly did not get lost in my memory lapse.

"Um, well, I just lost a client and now, before I am assigned a new one, would be the perfect time for me to quit. I could pick up my last pay check, pack up what little I have and we could be off." My eyes followed the patterns of the wood floor, tracing the curves, hiding my red blush.

"This girl that quit—what was wrong with her?"

I buried my head further towards the ground. "Nothing," I said. "She was just a normal girl, she might have had a few anger issues, but that was all I could find."

"Anger issues." she repeated the word as if she was tasting for flavor. "No, I remember this girl. You talked about her that first night. You seemed awfully attached then. Thought she might have been a witch or something…What happened?" Off to the side Kit stepped closer to us. He tilted his head, listening with a keen ear. He said nothing but was focused intently on what I was saying.

"I changed my mind." I closed my eyes hard. This wasn't supposed to happen. I was supposed to be in control. Tori was supposed to be listening to me. How did she always do this? How was she always so freaking good! "She's just a normal _human_ girl. Defiantly not a supernatural," I insisted.

"What makes you say so?" Tori leaned up against the counter. I could feel the holes she was drilling into my head, deeper and deeper with every second. She wouldn't stop until she struck gold.

"Because I do. Back off." I couldn't take this. My thoughts were mine, no one else's. She need to let me go, I wasn't a bear traveling with the circus. She couldn't trap me in this cage and cart me around like a freak.

"No. Why don't you think she's a supernatural Chloe? What evidence have you found that supports her not being supernatural? Huh? That's right, none. So tell us, what do you think she is?"

"No. No, she's nothing, I swear." Why couldn't they accept it? I didn't want to talk about Cailey, this was supposed to be about moving on, not dwelling on the past.

"I don't believe you, Chloe. Look me in the eye and tell me that's she is a regular, normal human with no extra abilities. Can't do it can you?"

I couldn't. It would be a lie. I did have ideas about what she could be. In fact, I had a really good guess. But I didn't want to tell them that. I didn't want to tell myself that. She had to be a normal girl; just had to.

"Chloe," Kit said. He sat his hand on my shoulder. "Were not going to hurt this little girl, we want to help her. If she's a supernatural and her parents don't know she could be very dangerous, not only to other people, but also to herself."

"I know," I croaked. That was the last thing I wanted for her. It's just, I had this picture of her, five years in the future, running, hiding, crying because she didn't ask to be put in that situation. And I would be the one she would be blaming. I didn't want to be the person she cursed over on her death bed, sweat dripping from her forehead, a silver bullet nuzzled deep down in her chest. I didn't want to be that one person who ruined her life. I didn't want her to end up like me.

I glanced up. No way was I going to cry. No way. At least, I told myself. Tori paused, her hand striking down on her hip, her eyes shining, bursting with life and ferocity so red, so heated. She sighed, flicking her eyes to me. Then, surprising both Kit and I, she strutted over to me, flipped Kit's hand from my shoulder and gave me a hug. Completely shocked by Tori doing something that was entirely and totally taboo, for her, I jumped, letting out a little scream as well.

"Oh, shut up. I have a heart. I'm not a fucking robot." She hugged me tighter and I realized how stupid I had been—keeping all of my true thoughts and feelings from her because I thought she wouldn't care. We had been to hell and back together—whether I remembered all of it or not wasn't the point. She was there for me because, when you put aside our differences, we understood each other. We had to because, _who else would?_

"Tori," I whispered, "I think I'm ready to talk now."

She gave me one last squeeze and said, "'Bout time, Chloe. About time." We both smiled at each other in mutual agreement. Neither of us would judge each other. We would listen and help, and no matter what, we would jump into whatever ocean of troubles came for us together.

* * *

"Okay, Chloe. I think you should start by telling us what you think this Cailey girl is," Kit said. One by one we had all filed into the living room, me sitting on the couch, curled in a tight ball with my head resting on my knees, Tori sitting beside me, her legs twisted into a pretzel, and Kit sitting across from us in the ugly chair that we had still yet to part from.

"Yeah, well…" I glanced at Tori. She nodded her head sharply. "Really I don't what she is, but from the things I've heard from her and from the people I've met—I think she's a werewolf."

"Oh," Kit gasped.

"What?" I looked from him to Tori. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Chloe he's—" Tori tried to say, but Kit cut her off with a sharp look and wave of his hand. "Do you remember,"—he swallowed hard, looking to the small round clock hanging on the wall, a big lump rolling down his throat—"Do you remember my two sons? Simon and Derek?"

I nodded. My memory of them was limited. Their names and a few other things about them ran through my head though—Simon liked basketball; Derek was always right; Simon was a flirt and we maybe, I wasn't completely sure, but maybe, dated; Derek yelled, loudly; Simon liked to draw, my brain told me something about comics, but It wouldn't process all the way; Derek was tall with big hands, I wasn't sure why big hands stood out to me, but it was on of the few things I could remember about him; Simon was a sorcerer, I think; Derek was…something. Derek was more of a blur to me. For some reason my brain would shut down when I thought to hard about him, so after a while I would quite. How important could he be if my brain didn't want to think about him? "Yes, I remember them. Sorta."

Kit smiled sadly. "Well Derek—Derek was a werewolf." Tori scooted closer to me and gave my shoulder a small squeeze. Her nails, long and painted at the tips with a sleek white line, dug into my skin. My brows furrowed, confused. The tension in the room had flown to the sky, high above the sun, making its way into a new universe.

"I'm sorry," I said. I bit down on my lip. "Do you think they could be related?" I asked, because maybe that was why Kit had gotten so emotional and the room had gone so tense. Maybe he thought his son was the father of Cailey. Which would be beyond weird—not to mention creepy. To be so close to these people that I apparently had known since I was a teenager and had had so much history with. The people who had at one point made each and every one of us cry. Like I said, creepy.

But Kit shook his head. "No, that would be impossible. The deal you made with the demon when you were a kid made sure that they were far away. Away from here, safe from the Cabal. So, no. I don't think that. It just…brings back memories."

And because I couldn't think of anything else to say, I hugged my knees tighter and said, "I'm sorry." The room was quite with one of those all-too-familiar never-ending silences until Tori jumped up, speaking loudly to mask the awkwardness, saying, "I lost my brother and my half-brother, too, alright? But that doesn't mean we can get lost in the memories and forget about our future." She looked to Kit, moving her big, power-filled eyes to me. "And you, anything else about this Cailey girl before we move on?"

I drummed my fingers along the couch cushions, my fingers prickling every time they hit the rough fabric. "Aren't we going to help her?" I asked, raising my eyes to look at Tori. She stomped around in her high heels, her face downcast, and her hands behind her back for approximately—_1…2…3…4…5…6…7—_seconds before responding.

"If we have time."

I threw up my hands trying to protest, but when Tori took charge, no one spoke unless spoken to. "Moving on!" she shouted. "Chloe brought up the idea of moving. It's not bad." She eyed me wearily. I glared back at her. "But it won't work. At least probably not. That's what Kit and I were doing today, testing the borders. The deal you made with Astuliap was supposed to keep us safe by putting a border around where we lived, and while inside of it any members of the Cabal wouldn't be able to see us. We would literally look like different people to them." She stopped, collecting her thoughts, then started up again, pacing the floor like a teacher lecturing her class. "Now, as we all know, parts of this deal didn't work out as planned. I mean, we didn't even get moved out of the frickin' place we had been trapped in. But once we escaped and settled down, bought houses, started college, the border fell around us. We knew for sure when a few Cabal workers strolled by us one day without saying a word." Tori gave us her "what an idiot" look, rolling her eyes. "Anyway, the point is, we won't be able to get out until the deal has been broken completely. The wall was invisible, but once Kit and I hit it we knew. It sent this terrible," she paused, shuddering, "_terrible_ shock wave though us. Like a bolt of lightening had flown through our bodies. It threw us back, like, twenty feet."

My eyes bugged out, and I looked to Kit for confirmation: he said nothing, but grimaced. I couldn't believe it. These past seven years living in, basically, a bubble. What if I had run into the wall mistakenly? I could have died. Or at least have gotten into a serious car crash. Wow.

"But possibly," Tori said, a grin now playing on her pink lips. "We can undo your genius plan and make it work to our advantage. Kit's working on a spell that just damn might put a hole in the wall keeping us in and allow it to cover only our bodies instead. It's not one hundred percent fool proof, but as long as the walls are up." She shrugged her shoulders. "It might work."

"One question." I moved my head off of my legs, curving them around my side so I could lean against the then end of the couch. "Besides the border walls coming down as a result of the failing deal, what other things could break it?"

"Well," Kit said, motioning for Tori to sit. "If one of us saw Simon, Derek, or Lauren, even if just by a passing glance, the walls would come down. But that's impossible. They are far far away. They weren't with us when we escaped the Cabals HQ, so that means that their end of the bargain must have worked." He said each word as if imprinting them into his own brain, convincing himself. I, myself, had no aversion to his explanation. It made sense, and there was no reason for it not to be true. All I could hope for was that the other group had realized the deal was failing just as we did.

"So what do we do then?" I asked.

"Wait," Tori declared. "Hope for the best. Kit will work on his spell and if he can manage to get it to actually work on time, we'll pack up and leave. If everything goes well up to that point then I guess we stay low, out of sight, and look for the others."

Cricks and knobs started forming in my shoulders working there way down my back. The thought of having to staying even a day longer knowing that not going might be the thing that killed me, well—it was killing me! I couldn't stand it. But because I was a big girl, I sucked it up and faked a smile. "Sounds like a plan."

"Good, because I've got nothing better," Kit said, getting to his feet with a smile plastered onto his face. And that's when I realized each of us was putting on a show. We all wanted the other to think we weren't scared and that we were ready to head into this head first fear last. When really all I could think was, _how am I ever going to do this? _and I'm sure their thoughts weren't far behind because the next thing Tori said was, "Lets not try and think about it too much, okay?" She stabbed her finger at the clock. "It's three O'clock now, so let's just go on with our lives like it's a normal day. No packing, no telling friends we're leaving, just run our normal routine. Kit, try to work on that spell whenever you get that chance. If anything happens I'll be around. Just give me a call." She smiled at us before turning her back, looking into the kitchen. "But don't fucking bother me." Then she walked off, swaying like she didn't have a care in the world. The basement door slammed shut seconds later as she padded down the stairs to her bedroom lair.

"I guess that means I should leave," I said to Kit, stretching my legs out in front of me, my toes spread like an eagle flexing its long talons. "Tori can have the house. I'm going to go down to this new gym I signed up for a few weeks ago. Get my moneys worth." I rolled my eyes. Smudges formed across the floor as I padded my way over to the closet. The door creaked, slicing the air open with ripe, new noises. I reached down for my old tennis shoes, Nikes, I think—whatever the kind with the cute little check mark things were. I turned back around about ready to dart upstairs and change, but then I saw Kit just standing there watching me.

Slowly, I cleared my throat, a pink blush blooming on my cheeks. "Uh, sorry. That was rude of me. Would you like to join me?"

Quickly he shook his head, snapping out of his odd daze. "No, no," he insisted. "That won't be necessary. But thank you for the invitation. I was just thinking…you remind me so much of him. The way you talk, like you don't want to hurt my feelings. And just random things you do. You probably don't even notice, but you sweep your hair back when you're nervous and pinch your nose when you've had too much. It's all very surreal."

"Huh?" I raised my eyebrows. One of my feet sagged as I moved my weight to my other leg. My shoes rested lightly on my hip, my hands holding them in place. "Who do I remind you of?"

He suddenly laughed, soft and low. "No one. Never mind I said anything." He shook his head again. "Have a good time at the gym, Chloe." He filled the gap between the door, walking out, letting a nice breeze in, and then closed it, the thick wood making a pure, kind of innocent, _bam!_

"Whatever," I muttered to myself. I was going to go to the gym and not think of any of the talk we had just had. It was all getting to be too crazy for me. And I did _not _pinch my nose when I was stressed, what kind of idiot did that?

* * *

_**A/N:**_** Hi again! So, good chapter? Please make sure to review with any questions or ways that I can better my writing. Alrightie, HERE'S THE DEAL. I have the next chapter all ready for you guys, so if I get ten reviews by seven O'clock tonight (6/9/11), I'll have the next chapter up by eight. If I don't get the reviews then I'll post the day I was originally going to post it. Sound good? Hopefully! Please review!**


	17. Chapter 17

**_A/N: _Hi, guys! Sadly I didn't get ten reviews before seven so there was no early post, but it's here now! I hope you like it. Now on to shout outs!**

**To _XNatsumiX _and _BeachBallofLove _I'm sorry that I left your names out of the shout outs from last chapters. When I was scrolling through my list I must have completely skipped over you two. Sorry!**

**To _Bookninja15, jenaca, Vividly'xD, xrubyx, suzi1811, LimeadeAllTheWay, SweetDreamzz3116, StoryLover, SeddieBangelandWarriors4eva, Animeteen221, xoxlisa101, _and _ffsah1 _thank you for the reviews! You all are the most amazing, squishiest, cutest, fuzziest reviewers ever! **

**_Sammiebaby703: _Thanks for the review! Sorry about not updating last night. I didn't have ten reviews by seven so I wasn't prepared to update.**

**_xXx_: Thanks for the review! About Jason's POV, I have it because Derek and Simon had way to information in their heads that I didn't want leaked. And even now they have information that I don't want spilled. And he doesn't really have a bigger role than Simon or Tori it's just that he's my only way to reveal what happening with Derek and Simon with giving anything away. But when I do his character I have to keep him real, too. So thats why you get some of his history.**

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** Disclaimer: I do not own Darkest Powers**

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** Previously: _He suddenly laughed, soft and low. "No one. Never mind I said anything." He shook his head again. "Have a good time at the gym, Chloe." He filled the gap between the door, walking out, letting a nice breeze in, and then closed it, the thick wood making a pure, kind of innocent, bam!_**

_**"Whatever," I muttered to myself. I was going to go to the gym and not think of any of the talk we had just had. It was all getting to be too crazy for me. And I did not pinch my nose when I was stressed, what kind of idiot did that?**_

* * *

Lemons and oranges. That's what the gym smelled like. While it was ten times better than my previous workout spot, the cleanliness intimidated me. Here I was, shorter than the average mom working off her baby weight, with no strikingly huge muscles, standing in a department store sized room in one of my many old ratty t-shirts that had sparkling stains on the pits. Something told me that I would have had to become seriously buff to fit in there. I mean, I wasn't even there five minutes before a girl in her twenties sporting rock-hard abs and a thin spaghetti strapped tank-top sauntered by. She was smirking at me.

Suddenly an overwhelming feeling crept up on me, wrapping around my shoulders breathing its hot, sticky breath down my neck. It was the feeling that I was back in middle school, when nobody wanted to pick me to be on their team for kickball. My legs had been even shorter back then and no matter how I hard I had tried to kick the ball it just wouldn't fly further than five feet from the pitcher person. Except, I thought, turning towards the sign in desk, for the time Lydia Knocker said I looked like a retard because I kept missing the ball. The next time the ball rolled up to me—bouncing and flopping like a sloppy pink tongue ready to lick me up like a three scoop cone of ice cream—that time I kicked the ball so hard it flew past all of the outfielders and nailed jerk Lydia right in the head. It was worth never being picked again. And so, now, as I signed my name with a loopy _D_ and small _emi_, I was happy that at least kickball wasn't on the gyms list of Activities to Enrich Your Mental and Physical Health.

"Not to mention jerk Lydia's long gone," I murmured to myself. Last I had heard of her, which was freshman year of high school, was that she had broken her leg in a fight with a big ol' tough guy from a bad part of town, getting her sent off to some fancy reform school. Good_ ridden!_ It gave me a soft—kind of fuzzy—little comfort knowing that she hadn't been there when I was shipped off to a mental home. Because surly, if she was, she would have been the first one gossip about how crazy I had always been. And from what I remembered of the Lyle house, which was most of everything excluding the people…and major events…and, yeah, almost everything in between besides, of course, slicing carrots—slicing carrots and eating forbidden crackers—but what I did remember was that I had been terrified of what people would think. With Lydia gone, some of those nerves must have receded. If only I could remember.

I dropped my clothes bag off in the locker room. Rows and rows of metal lockers lined the walls, painted in bright colors like happy-go-lucky yellow and make-me-puke green. The real icing to the cake, though, was the amount of half-naked women showing off their bare butts. It was incredible that they could walk around so fearlessly—_nakedly!_—and not care who saw them. I felt like a pervert just entering the room. Quickly I went to my assigned locker, glad that I had decided to come in my workout clothes. Later I could change _in the stalls_ into my regular flip-flops and pants. Maybe by then the burning in my face would have died down to a rosy pink.

As I left the locker room I passed even more finely tuned men and women. Their perfect skin and muscles had me staring down watching my legs rise and fall, rise and fall, rise and fall. Was it possible that my thighs were actually getting more jiggle in them? Fat pooling up across my legs. Bundles of pudge rolling up on my stomach. _Who cares_, I thought, and tossed the stupid thought away immediately. I didn't know where all that self-loathing was coming from. It wasn't like me to look for the flaws in my body. One hundred and twenty five pounds didn't allow for those kinds of thoughts. The only jiggle in my legs and stomach was the healthy kind, the kind you need if your about to go on the run…for the second time possibly. Satisfied, I opened the door to a room labeled: Center for Toning Shaping and Building. Not much could prepare me for what I saw inside though.

Guys of all sizes—some small with large muscles, some big with even larger muscles—filled the room. And girls with shorts smaller than their butts walked on treadmills, confidence plastered to their smug, tan faces. All I had was my IPod That Isn't Really an IPod, my IP-TIR, as I liked to call it. (Really it was a MP3 player, but if I could talk to the dead than surly I could tell myself one little lie to make me feel less out of place).

I tugged down my shorts because, while I may not feel shame for me jiggle-jaggle, other people here might find it…gross. What could I say, some people were mean. Though that left me trying not to waddle like a duck, pulling down my shorts, glancing down at the floor, scuttling over to a yellow bike nailed down to the floor—_nailed down with clean, _polished_ nails_. It was just so sanitary here.

I hopped up onto the bike hating the way the seat squished and pulled on my butt. Was it too much to ask for soft seat pads? Probably. The people that actually used those things on a regular basis had so much muscle that it was not likely they could really feel the seat anyway.

My fingers slid through my hair, pulling strawberry blond strands into a pony tail that loosely hung from my head. The guy next to me sized me up and then lowered his bikes level of resistance. I must not have been hot enough to try and impress. Huff huff, his loss. Not that I would want a guy like him anyway. Muscles ripping out of his tuff-guy t-shirt, Hair spiked up with enough gel to soothe a third degree burn—not my type. I liked a guy who was more…understated.

I slid my feet into the security buckles noticing how Muscle Man left his feet outside the belt, his shoes gripping the pedal. Another reason he wasn't my type—he didn't like to follow rules. I sighed, moving my legs in circles, spinning the wheels that would never leave their platform. With my IPod in my ears and the music blaring softly, I could almost pretend that I wasn't there. And if I closed my eyes, I could imagine myself on the beach in some off coast foreign country, riding a bike. The air smelled like fresh citrus because the local's main economic resource was fruits, not because the janitor had just cleaned the floors. And Muscle Man next to me was really Johnny Depp in all his pirate glory. I lived in this make believe fantasy world smiling and relaxing. Ten minutes: That's how long I had before the ocean turned black and the sand turned a sickly, sharp dark green. I was suddenly covered in slithering snakes that crawled up my body, twisting around my legs and chest; they squeezed me, taking my breath, choking me. Standing on the damp, brown sand stood Johnny Depp, fading away, reforming, becoming another…becoming…Astuliap, her flaming black hair flying fiercely though the wind. Her face that was neither pale nor tan, printing itself into my brain. I tried to talk, to mutter words—scared, desperate words, but then the tips of her mouth lifted ever so carelessly, she winked at me, and then she was gone.

I threw open my eyes to find Muscle Man with his hand on my shoulder and an annoyed look on his face. "Times up," he said. He voice was stiff, like a solid brick wall. "Better move on before someone complains."

I nodded, my throat too dry to speak. Shakily I got off bike, fumbling when I had to bring my foot out of the petal's safety belts.

"T-thanks," I said to Muscle Man, but when I looked over at him, he was gone. I looked around the room trying to spot his tan body among the crowd of men, but the only clue I found as to where he could have gone was a swinging door beneath a glowing green exit sign.

* * *

"You will _not_ _believe_ what just happened to me," Jen squealed from the other side of my phone. Her time being mad at me had expired apparently. She was back to being the happy, bubbly, gossipy, forward person she was known to be. And, I guess I had stopped being mad with her too. She was my only friend, so to speak, and even though she had some problems, I didn't want to create more. It was all around easier that way. Trust me. Besides if I ended up leaving—well, more like running away, but to her I would be leaving—than I would rather have her thinking that we ended on good terms. Sure her crap was getting thin pretty fast and, yeah, I hated how she thought she decided when we were fighting and when we weren't, but once I was gone, _no, _If_-if if if. Get it right, Chloe,_ I nailed myself-_if we went_, none of that would matter.

"Are you sure?" I asked, racking my brain for what she could possibly have had happened to her in a few short hours. "Because I'm a pretty good guesser." I was sitting in my car driving home. After the whole beach turning to black thing, I gave up on "toning, shaping, and building" and paraded myself out. I didn't even waste time changing back into my normal clothes; I just walked into the locker room, past the new batch of perfectly toned naked girls, grabbed my things, and was out the door.

"Oh shut up! This is big," Jen screeched, bringing my thoughts of nasty locker rooms to rest.

"How big?" I asked curiously. Big to Jen could be defined as smaller than a breadbox to most other people. Including me.

"Huge." Her monotone stopped me for a second. I scratched my head.

"Alright, shoot." I was always semi-confused on how I could tell her something life changing—like the story I told her about me yesterday—and then have her completely disregard it. She had been doing it ever since we had become friends, but in the past few weeks my news had gone deeper and it seemed that she had become shallower.

"I met him, Demi! I met the one!" she squawked. "Hehehe!"

"Really," I asked, rolling my ever-so-exhausted eyes. "Did he have a small bag with him? A heavy coat? "

"Huh?"

"You know…he didn't try to slip you anything right?" I asked, a smile creeping onto my lips. "And please, God, don't tell me you paid him. These people get enough encouragement from their friends; they don't need a pretty girl like you paying them for their nasty drugs." I shake my head, concealing my throaty laughs. "Don't worry, honey. Come over right away. I'll take you down to the hospital, we'll explain everything. We can get through this. Together." I lick my lips, smiling at myself.

"No, no, Demi. Oh shit no."

My teeth bite down on my tongue hard to keep me from laughing. "It's okay," I insist. "Denial is the first step to recovery. They have therapy sessions for this—both group and alone. I'm not sure I'm qualified in this particular area, but I can make a few calls…"

"Shit, Demi—I'm not high. I'm in _love_.

"You know—_the one_. My true love. My soul mate. My other half. The one."

My voice changed so I sounded flabbergasted. I had never been a good liar so it was kind of amazing that I hadn't been caught yet. "Oh!" I drawled. "Seriously? But, how—_when!_"

"Well it was—"

"Mmm-hmm," I hummed after.

"It was at—_Ahh!_ God damn it, Demi!" She was mad. She was furious. But I could hear those giggles coming: The ones that pop out only when a really stellar joke has been shared. "What the hell?" she shouts, "I'm trying to tell you about my freakin' love of my life and you're making jokes." She laughed. She tried to cover it. She yelled, "Since when have you been funny anyway? Where'd you get that crap about me being a druggie?"

"Well, your voice was all over the place and you sounded all…float-y."

"As if. I don't _do_ drugs," she said as if it was the obvious answer all along, and _how dare_ you think otherwise. Shame shame. Fortunately for me, I felt no shame and laughed it off. "Anyways," she said and I could practically feel the way her hand flipped her silk-infested red hair behind her shoulder. "I just thought that you might want to know since you are my best friend and all."

Now, that got me thinking. Like _w-w-w-wait!_ thinking. The kind of thinking that has you rolling on the floor freaking laughing thinking: Jen thought she was in love.

By carefully measuring the intensity in her voice, I calculated that she wasn't joking. She was serious. "I actually think I am in love" real, not, you know, real real. clearly she wasn't really in love, because if so, she would have been dating the, no offense to her, but most likely scum bag-y, watches porn, natural born player type of guy for a while and I knew, as a fact, that she hadn't been. That would have been too big for her to, _oops_, slip by me.

"Jen, are you sure. You just met him today—"

"You don't know that," she fired back.

"How long then." I maneuvered my way through a yellow light turning red with color. Cars blasted their horns at me, mad at my incapability to drive like a normal, functional person. But I'm not normal, I remind myself, they don't know I'm really a necromancer, so I have an excuse.

"So I met him today, so what!" How could she not find the fault in that? Was she that dense? See that was the problem: Jen was exactly the type of person to jump into things without thinking them through. That's was how she ended up with a puppy, two kittens, and a parrot that only talked at night. She was impulsive and didn't like to say no.

"So how do you know it's real?" I asked. If she could answer that, I decided, and she sounded honest, then I would let it go. I would drop the whole thing and let it fly down to planet Earth where it would explode into a million pieces. _If_.

"I know it's real because…because when he looks at me, Demi. When he sees me, my insides melt and I know only he can mold me back together. And I have no doubt at all that he will make me better when he does it."

A little too…romantic comedy for me personally. Gushy sludge. But her voice did sound sincere. And since I made that deal with myself—ah shoot! "You sure, Jen? Are you really really sure?"

"Absolutely," she assured me. "One hundred and twenty percent!" I decided not to point out the impossibility of that, thinking, _Let her have her moment_.

"Okay then," I said.

"Thank you," she said.

And so I let it sink. It got down there real thick, like in between the cracks, far down. And so I said, "Well then, good! Great! Oh, Jen I'm so happy for you," I cooed trying to muster up as much enthusiasm as I could. Truth be told, I wasn't all that excited, even with the news sinking down into my cracks (not to sound gross or anything). The alarm had been sounded before and if my instincts were right this was just another false alarm, a test run of sorts. "So, what's his name?" I asked.

"Hmm?"

"His name. You know, has anywhere from two to ten letters. Probably a vowel or two jammed in?" I shook my head. Two blocks down was my house, two stories high waving to me like a signal of peace.

"I know what a name is, Demi." I could practically see her rolling her big, coal lined eyes. "I just don't know _his_."

I sputtered. I coughed. I said, "You're kidding me. You have _got_ to be kidding me. There is no way."

"We didn't get around to names," she said. "We were…otherwise occupied." She didn't mean. No, she coul—"You mean to tell me that you didn't ask his name because you were too busy sucking face?"

"I wouldn't put it _that_ way—"

"Ha!" I slowed the car down to a crawl. "Didn't get around to it? Is that not the first rule in dating etiquette? 'Hello my name is Jennifer and my ring is to be made from Egyptian gold with at least three diamonds.'"

"Egyptian gold? What the hell?"

"I can't believe you don't even know his name!" I shifted my phone to my shoulder and pulled into my driveway. I couldn't believe her. How do you met the so called "love of your life" and not get his name? Arg, that woman. I swear—

"Whatever, you can ask him tonight."

I parked the car, yanking out the keys, and slumped back in my seat. "Excuse me?"

"Tonight. On my date. No way am I going alone, I need my bestie by my side!"

"That's pathetic, Jen. I'm not coming along on your date just to be dragged along as a third wheel. Besides I'm not particularly fond of awkward silences." I picked at my nails, chipping away the fading pink polish. Her problems were going to be solved by herself. Alone. That meant without me.

"There wont be any awkward silences if your there, that's the whole point!" she shouted as if it was so obvious. "And if you don't want to be the third wheel you could always bring a date of your own…"

"You know I won't," I told her. I wasn't ready to date yet. Something just want right, like I never got those feeling you were supposed to get about hot guys. It didn't make since, because Tori could be all over every guy down the block plus the one from the market and the last time I tried to so much as kiss a guy, I felt sick to my stomach and ended up puking all over the poor boy. Gladly he moved away two weeks later so there was never any weird run-ins where we both pretended to be nice than skirt away as quick as possible. "Plus I kind of have a lot going on right now, if you remember."

"See! This will be a perfect break from all you're stressing. You need to let loose. Pull down your hair. Fling your bra."

"I don't know what you're getting at, but I can assure you I will not be _flinging my bra_ on your date." I think my eyes actually rolled all the way around, in a complete circle. I'm talking full on three-sixty.

"So that means you'll come?" she asked in her super gracious " I help out at local food shelters and donate all my clothes to good will" voice. "Oh great! I'll be by to pick you up at seven o'clock sharp." Then she hung up.

* * *

So I had been roped into going on a date. Not my date, but never-the-less, a date it was. I sighed and got out of my car.

I was going to have to explain to Tori that even though the world as we knew it might be coming to an end I was going out parting. No doubt she would throw a fit. On my defense though, she had told me to live my life like I normally would. However, she could argue back that partying was not, by far, normal for me. Oh well. I unlocked the door to the house, walking into a cold, frisk room. The windows that were opened earlier were still open. Just in time for everything to cool down. Great. When the power was restored that morning our heating had remained unfixed. I sighed again.

My tennis shoes were sweaty and smelled like the inside of a tuna can…which was odd because no one I knew ate tuna…ever, but either way, they were thrown off my feet and into the far corner of the living room as soon as I came inside. "Tori, you home?" I shouted.

No response. And so that left me to hope: Maybe Tori was out for the night. _Hopefully_ she had gone over to Kits to help him with that spell. That would be five times better than having her here, bugging me with her nonchalance. Plus, the faster we got the spell working the faster we could be out of here, away from the Cabal's HQ.

I slipped into the living room feeing the relief of an empty home. Coffee sat out on the counter hot and ready, but I skipped and optioned for a glass of hot coco. Maybe I would have time to catch up on some reading. Oh, or I could finally watch that movie I had recorded last week. All I needed was a bowl of buttered popcorn and a fuzzy blanket. Finally I would get some much needed rest. I finished making my extra buttery, lightly salted, snack and was just slipping into a pair of sweat pants in my room when I heard a voice behind me. It was soft—in a way that was really sort of loud—and familiar. A voice I had been waiting to here from for a while now.

"Watching me dress? Don't you already have a girlfriend?" I teased. I pulled a blanket from my bed slipping past the smirking ghost in the doorway.

"Hardy-har-har, aren't we funny?" Mason followed after me. I didn't understand why he didn't just poof himself down stairs. Wouldn't that be less tedious than floating behind a slow human? "I thought you'd be happy to see me, but…I see how it is." Mason tried fading away but I quickly brought him back. My powers were rusty from years of disuse, but the basics were still pretty easy.

"You can't leave yet," I demanded him. "Tell me why you came." From the shock on his face I could tell he hadn't expected that. Me being rude I mean. It's just, I had finally started to forget the paranormal (like the fact that I was one and stuff like that) and then he showed up and ruined it all. There went movie night. There wouldn't be enough time to finish the movie _and_ prepare for a date with him here. He was the elephant at a circus; he demanded your attention.

"I came because I wanted to," Mason said.

I narrowed my eyes, flicking away a stray piece of my hair. "Where's Liz?"

"Oh she's out-and-about. You know her, always busy-busy-busy!" He floated around the room touching random things with his transparent hands. He turned back to give me an all too toothy smile.

"Uh-huh." I said.

Still smiling.

"So where did you guys rush off to last time we saw you? Looked like you were in a hurry." That question had been eating away at me for a while. Where could she have gone? What did it have to do with me, because—I didn't want to sound selfish, but it undoubtedly did.

Mason's smiling face turned away from me. His eyes locked on a red apple he was caressing with his middle finger. "Just to a place. No where special."

"Can you give me hint? Just a little itty-bitty clue. I promise I won't tell Liz you said anything. It'll be our secret." I bit my lip hoping I didn't sound as immature as I was making myself seem.

"No deal, Chloe. I can't. Not with her. I won't mess this one up. I like her too much."

_Good_, I thought. At least I know Liz will have someone trustworthy for her. Also good because if they ever got into a fight I didn't know whose side I would be on. I had history with Liz, but Mason was turning out to be a really amazing friend too. However, I had to get answers. Being well informed was winning a battle. Metaphorically speaking.

"C'mon," I persuaded. "The place: was it a house or a building," I said.

He clenched his hand, his fingers disappearing through the apple. "I want to help you. You know I do, but—"

"But nothing," I said. "All you have to tell me is if you went to a house or a building." I shrug my shoulders. "That isn't giving anything away. I can't possibly know where you went by that question. Just. Answer, please." I did my pouting act. Childish, I know. Trust me, I felt like an idiot doing it too. Really, I wasn't sure how effective it was either, me being an adult and all, but it must have gotten through to his head.

"It was a building." He rushed through each word like he only had seconds to live—which was ironic because _he was dead_. "I don't know exactly where, but it was out of town. We met a man by the name of "Wood"—probably his alias—we gave him information. Dangerous, possibly very dangerous information, and then we left." Mason closed his eyes. "That's all I can tell you now—maybe ever. But, listen, don't think too much about it. It'll make you crazy." He gave me one last heavy look, then left. Gone like that.

* * *

I put on dark colors that evening. A gray jacket that went to about mid-thigh with ruffles on the back and a pair of black skinny jeans, finished off with black, lacy-bowed flats. As I caught my reflection heading out the door I was surprised to look, well, hotter than I expected. The style of clothing wasn't exactly my own and so maybe that's why I looked good. The only piece of clothing that I could take credit for was my underwear which was as childish as it could get, taking into account that they were plain cotton lined with bright blue and pink colors. Just thinking about them made a bright red rash take over my face, God-forbid someone actually see me in them. And in those last few seconds as my mind was racing with humiliating possibilities about being held on a stage dead center with nothing but my undies clinging to my body I contemplated changing into something a little more discreet. There was no need for me to look this good on someone else's date. I should have worn tan—blend into the walls and such. But the moment passed and I truly didn't have the effort to change.

As always, Jen arrived blaring her horn, expecting me to run to her like a puppy wanting treats. And I did. Because common courtesy was dead and everyone knew it, but also because what was the point of another fight? Tonight was sure to be grueling.

The late night sky was dark, like me. I felt at home even though home was the place I had just walked away from. My arms crossed and I lightly ran to the car door loving the feeling of my feet tapping the driveway as I went. The hot air was blasting inside Jen's car and a song by Led Zeppelin was screeching out of the speakers, yelling to me about women shaking things they shouldn't be and walking with too much of a swing. Jen sat star-eyed, grinning at me like I had just won the whole freakin' lottery. And yet seeing her happiness, her better-days excitement, didn't thaw me out the least bit.

"You look nice." She ran her finger along my jacket, probably complimenting herself on picking it out for me last week. "But, oh, here let me get this." The price tag, still stuck to the butt of my jeans came flying off. "Better." She smiled at me with her "You _should_ be embarrassed" look, and pulled out.

She herself looked picture perfect. Her legs, which had always been longer and slimmer than mine, eased on the brakes gently in tight white skinny jeans and her torso was covered in drapes of color that matched perfectly with her flaming hair and bright eyes. Jealousy flared within me every now and then so knowing that I looked pretty good too helped ease my conscious. Not that I was thinking that I was ugly or anything, but with all that was going on, a little boost didn't hurt much.

Jen scrunched her nose, looking at me from the mirror. "Before I tell you where we're going," She said to me, "I want to apologize for not being there for you this week. I know you're going through hell right now and I'm being my petty self by not, you know, holding your hair back or whatever." She pats her knee. "This has been a lot to take in though. Like, I don't want you to think I don't care, because I do, I so do, Demi. I've just been having an _Oh _My_ God_ week. I find out ghosts are real along with wizards and witches and necrohoppers!"

"You mean necromancers," I corrected, but she waved her hand dismissively, already talking again.

"But I want you to know that I am here for you. I love you and I will never let anybody hurt you, not even those stupid Cabal guys." She moved her hair from her face. "So, starting now, tell me anything and everything. Don't hold anything back."

"Umm…" The thing was, I had already told her everything—almost. And the stuff I left out was for a reason, I really couldn't remember it. She was ready to talk, but I was done. I had said what needed to be said and she hadn't wanted to listen. I wasn't about to repeat myself again. If she wanted to hear my story, than she should have listened harder the first time through. "Jen, I have nothing to say."

"Excuse me?" She said. Two bracelets on her wrist dangle up her arm.

"I mean what I said." The shock on her face told it all. How could poor old Demi—who didn't even exist—turn down advice from Jen? The almighty Jen? Easily, apparently. "I've been putting up with th-this…self-arrogance for a while now. You always place yourself in front of me. Before I didn't care so much, besides you were the one with the big life anyway so you sat in the seat you felt you deserved. But when I asked for just an ounce of attention, you couldn't give it to me. It had to be you first."

"Demi, where is this coming from? I just said I was _sorry_. What the hell is wrong with you?" She made wild motions in every direction ending with her finger, her middle no less, stabbing points, sharp, invisible points, into my face, up my path.

"Everything is wrong with me! Don't you understand? That is what I have been trying to tell you this whole time! But there is the problem, you won't listen." I rubbed my temple as she pulled into the parking lot of playground. Kids of all ages ran around, jumping off swings, kicking dirt. Way off to the side was a picnic table shaded by the big leaves of the tress hanging above. The dark of the forest behind gave it a scary, kind of ominous feel. I clenched my jaw and turned my shoulders to face Jen. "I get that I sprang a lot on you at once and I totally understand that you didn't ask for it, but for once you could have paid attention to someone other than you."

"To tell you the truth," she sputtered, "I am surprised you feel this way. Aren't I always buying you nice things, bringing you food? How dare you call me the bad guy?"

She was right. But her point was dull and lifeless, some may even say dead. She was always buying me clothes and jewelry and pointless knick-knacks. But if she had ever stopped to listen, she would have heard me saying that I never wanted those things in the first place. Like with yesterday, I didn't ask her to come over, bearing food. She decided on her own to show up at my house, dump a crap load of food on me, then leave. Yes, in between she had listened to the things I had to say, but as soon as she was out the door they were completely forgotten. A waste of time, practically.

"You know what, can we just forget this? I'm here for a date, and whether your being a bitch or not, I still need help." She grabbed for her purse and legged it out. You could tell she was pumped up from the fight because she walked with a tiny hop to her step. Like an angry bunny.

I sat there and watched children play in the park. Each of them looked so happy with their little lives. So simple. I bet none of them had visions of memories that they couldn't remember, or talked to uncooperative dead people that dated your other dead friend. Most likely none of them were under an assumed identity hiding from a group of killers that wanted them dead. Yeah, they had it pretty easy.

I huffed, and puffed, not all too unlike the wolf in that one kid story—the one with the pigs whose houses get blown down, and oh yeah, also the same one where the wolf gets burned. By a pot of hot soup. Great. But I ended up dragging myself from the car all the same. Jen didn't realize how annoyingly stupid she could be. Or maybe she did realize but didn't care. Either way this could be the last night I talked to her for a while. We both needed a brake. From each other. Then after we had both cooled down we might be able to meet up again, really talk about stuff. Tonight though, I'll play it cool. No sense in ruining her dates night as well.

I sat next to Jen on the wooden park bench. Her hair flew softly in the night air; the kids from the park were packing up and heading home. The street lamps flickered on.

"I'm not going to take back what I said," I told her. "I meant it. I don't have to put up with it anymore." I eyed her. She sat rigged, her breath hitched. I looked out into the forest where she stared forcefully, to ashamed to look at me, I guessed. "But for tonight, I'll let it go. Mystery Man shouldn't have to put up with our idiotic bickering. Truce?"

I held out my pinky finger to her.

She sat stone cold, still watching the forest with red-heated eyes. A crack and whistle of sticks followed by a shout from a crying child being carried away by his mother sounded around us. _Snap knock snap knock knock whistle_. The sounds of the forest brought her back. Broke her from her spell. She looked me up and down, and then latched pinkies with me. "Truce," she said, and then—shaking her head away from me—added, "For now."

* * *

_**A/N: **_**Well, I hopped you liked it! I'm already working on the next chapter so hopefully it will be up soon. **** So please review! I missed a lot of my former reviewers last chapter. Please review telling me what you liked, questions, complaints, anything! Bye! **


	18. Chapter 18

_**A/N:**_ **Hey guys! So here's the chapter! And I wanted to tell you I made this "book cover" for this fanfic, so if you want to check it out it's on my profile. Be prepared to marvel in its sheer awesomeness *rolls eyes*. It was just something to do while I was bored. So yeah. On to shout outs! **

**To **_**Bookninja15, xoxlisa101xox, xXx, ceesy5, SweetDreamzz3116, moon-called-princess (;D), ffsah1, suzi1811, XNatsumiX, BeachBallofLove, **_**and **_**rei of the wolf clan**_** thanks for the reviews! You guys are like cold drinks or sprinklers or pools on a hot day—(like today…for me at least)—absolutely necessary and once you get a taste of them you can't help but want more. **

_**ChumChumMizzyLover:**_** Thanks for the review! Derek and Chloe will meet soon! (I feel like that's my catchphrase or something, I write it out about three times each chapter.)**

_**Murrey-2012**_**: Thanks for the review! Chloe is the only one who doesn't remember the other people and a lot of her past. Derek and the others remembers everything. **

_**M1DNITELOVER**_**: Thanks for the review! I know the story is a kind of all over the place and I apologize; I've tried to do my best. This is my first try at a "complicated" story and although I know that that is no excuse…I'm going to use that as my excuse because I don't have any others! Thanks for not giving up! **

_**Obessessedcrazedbookworm**_**: Thanks for the review! 1) So sorry if I did miss you! Completely my fault! 2) They will meet soon, don't worry. 3) Thanks for the complement, it means a lot! **

_**Bloody Phantom**_**: Thanks for the review! Okay, let me start out by saying you are completely one hundred percent correct. I screwed up with the math in this. I didn't think things through enough before posting, and I guess that's what happens when you don't have anyone editing your work besides yourself. So, yeah, sorry about that confusion. I'm going to have to ask you to pretend the math all works out, please!**

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**Disclaimer: I do not own Darkest Powers. **

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_**Previously:**_**  
**

**"I'm not going to take back what I said," I told her. "I meant it. I don't have to put up with it anymore." I eyed her. She sat rigged, her breath hitched. I looked out into the forest where she stared forcefully, to ashamed to look at me, I guessed. "But for tonight, I'll let it go. Mystery Man shouldn't have to put up with our idiotic bickering. Truce?"**

**I held out my pinky finger to her.**

**She sat stone cold, still watching the forest with red-heated eyes. A crack and whistle of sticks followed by a shout from a crying child being carried away by his mother sounded around us. Snap knock snap knock knock whistle. The sounds of the forest brought her back. Broke her from her spell. She looked me up and down, and then latched pinkies with me. "Truce," she said, and then—shaking her head away from me—added, "For now."**

* * *

Wind blew two red and gray seated swings back and forth…side to side…like two invisible children were sitting on them, pumping their legs in the air so they could reach higher—higher! It confused me why Jen would pick the city park, of all places, to go on her date. If you asked me, I would say that this place was cold, creepy, and absolutely un-romantic. I just hoped the man of the hour wouldn't have any great expectations for their first date, because this was below even _my_ expectations. And I wasn't even the one on the date.

I crinkled my nose. The guy still hadn't showed up and I was starting to get worried. Not for Jen, of course, but for myself—I meant that in the most unselfish way possible. If he didn't show up soon I would be here all night. But not to worry for Jen, he would show up, I had no doubt about that.

"Are you sure you told him the right address?" I mumbled. My lips were cold, the evening, having had set in, brought the temperature to an all time low. And, when the guy showed up, I would be glued to this chair for probably another hour or so.

"Yes," she growled back at me. If this guy really didn't show up I would be utterly shocked. No guy, that I had ever met, had guts enough to ditch a date with the beautiful, red headed Jennifer. If she really had given him the correct address, he would be here. It was only a matter of time.

"Sure," I said, listening to my voice get lost in the howling wind. Tonight was really the kind of night that you got cozied up in your bedroom with a good book, every once and a while glancing outside, and thinking, _I sure am glad I'm not out there_. That was exactly what I was thinking now, except reverse_._ And to my great dismay, the coldness seemed to grow while thinking it. I was full-on trembling with coldness as Jen, God knows how she did it, leaned back across the picnic bench, both hands behind her, eyes closed, face up to the sky, absolutely content, like she was tanning on the beach mid July. Not cold at all. Was the freaking wind not hitting her?

I balled my hands into fists and curled up tighter, my arms wrapped around my torso, my legs supporting my head. My phone dug into my thigh as I clung to myself. I was ready to stay in that position for as long as need be until, as if all the forces in the world combined planned a surprise attack, my phone rang._ OOOOH, You're makin' me live! Whatever this world can give to me. _I let it ring, hoping the caller would hang up. _OOOOH, you're the best friend that I ever had. I've been with you for such a long time. You're my sunshine and I want you to know that my feelings are true. I really love you. OOOOH, you're my best friend. _The song cut off. That was Tori's idea of funny. She set my phone to play You're My Best Friend by Queen whenever she called. It was a nice gesture, I guess. Even though she set it to that song to be totally sarcastic. I let myself think that she maybe she put some actual thought into what song to pick. And that maybe she wasn't being completely sarcastic and only, like, seventy-five percent.

_OOOOH, You're makin' me live! _my phone shouted again, replaying the song. So half-heartedly, I unraveled myself, and reached for the singing piece of metal as it went on…_Whatever this world can give to me. OOOOH, you're my best_—

"Yes," I said, cutting the pleasantries. My voice zapped right through the solid brick wall built between Jen and I. The quiet park was suddenly filled with noise and space, not emptiness like she had wanted. I think I saw a shiver run down her back.

I stood up and walked a few feet away from the table, leaving Jen to glare at me from a far. Seriously, I could practically feel her firing eyes on me, boring holes through my clothes, infesting my skin with molten hot lava. I bit down on my lip. "Chloe, where the hell are you?" Tori shouted, her voice reaching maximum volume levels. I didn't think she could be any louder even if we were in person. Quickly I turned the volume on my phone down so no matter how loud she got I would hear a nice soothing lull, like a whisper of her anger.

"Okay, Tori, clam down," I tried to coax her. "I'm fine. I'm out with Jen right now."

"Where." Her grinding teeth found their way through the phone and into my ear. It wasn't pleasant.

"Uh, we're at the city park. You know the one, with the playground and the forest…" I let my voice trail off.

"I'm coming to get you," she demanded.

"What?" I asked. It didn't matter that I didn't want to be here, I had to stay. I made a deal with Jen and I wasn't one to go back on deals. And secretly I really wanted to see what this guy looked like. From what I had learned from Jen's past boyfriends was that she liked tall guys, not too tall, but taller than her, with short blond hair. Sporty, but not so jock that all he would think of was sports. And money; the guy had to have money or else he was a no go.

"You heard me," she fired back. "Tell Jen that you have to go. I'll be there in five minutes."

I shook my head. It was a fifteen minute drive to get here from our house, if she was planning to make it in five than she would have to break almost every driving law in the state of New York. We would have the cops trailing us home. "No no. Tori, you stay where you are." I kick the dirt around me, scuffing my shoes. "Listen, I'm fine. I'll be home in two hours."

"An hour," she ordered.

"An hour and a half."

"An hour."

"Fine, whatever. I'll be home in an hour. Happy?" I said. The swings on the playground slowly came to a rest like the two invisible kids that had been swinging their hearts out had jumped off. The wind calmed down.

"Ecstatic," she said, then hung up.

* * *

Five minutes passed and nothing happened. The sky had fallen into a deep blue color, stars shinning brightly overhead. With the momentary lull, I had time to think over the day. Mainly I thought about my newest vision. Astuliap standing on my imaginary beach in all her terrifying glory. What had it meant? And her wink, it was like she was mocking me. But it couldn't have. She didn't know what was going on down here; she was probably off in some far away land reeking havoc on small children. I had nothing to worry about. But still, there was a nagging little feeling in the back of my head that poked and prodded at my brain, not wanting me to give up. _There's more to it, _the feeling said. I ignored it though because just at that second I saw someone. They were a ways away at the opening where the park stopped and the forest started. He—I said he because his hair was short and he wore baggy jeans—wasn't exactly crouched, but he was sort of bent over with his neck craned like a giraffe. Simultaneously Jen and I burst out a torrent of words, "I think he's here," I said. "Oh, that's him!" she said. We both smiled at each other, momentarily forgetting our fight.

She grabbed my hand, her fingers cold and hard. She pointed to the parking lot where a black Ferrari sat, the engine running with no sound. "Then who is—" I asked turning around, pointing to the now empty space where the bent man stood. He was gone. I turned around in a circle looking for traces of the man before deciding that I must have imagined it. Either that or he was a ghost, which I kept as an acceptable option.

"Demi, Demi!" Jen shrieked. "Stop acting like a fool and turn back around."

I sighed. The wind picked up again, moving leaves and shaking trees. A shiver ran up the length of my back, leaving me feeling woozy and lightheaded. Slowly, holding my head with two fingers pressed to my temples, I turned around. "Jen, I don't feel so—"

"Suck it up and look," she barked back at me. So doing what she said, finding that it was the only thing I could do without making myself sick, I watched. My stomach turned, tossing the bad pop-tart I had eaten earlier around in my stomach like a child on a trampoline. In the back of my head I wondered where the sudden wooziness had come from. Probably nerves. The whole day had been a bundle of nerve racking emotions, willing to throw me to the ground with a thump. I decided I would do my best to try and stay upright. Jen gripped my arm. "He's getting out," she whispered.

I found it odd that she had to tell me this. It's not like I was blind or anything. I could see that his car had turned off, his car lights dimming lower until they were gone leaving us only in the lamp light, and I could see that his door was opening ever so slowly.

"I know," I whispered back.

A long leg covered in plain dark wash jeans fell from the car, hitting the cement with a soft tap. Then all at once something not-so-magical happened. The man stepped out. I looked at him. Jen screamed "Go, go, go! Now!" I looked at her.

And then pure, raging hell went loose. Men and women dressed in all black with ridiculous black hats jumped from trees that only seconds ago I had starred into. They ran out from the forest floor, dirt caked to their faces, and hopped from bushes, barreling towards me. About every other person had a gun held open in their hand, posed to shoot. "Don't move!" one of the guys that ran out from the forest yelled. He had leaves in his hair, his face lightly illuminated by the park lamp.

I of course, froze. The man who had spoken earlier took a step forward toward Jen and I. Reacting on instinct I stumbled backwards away from where I was supposed to be. "Don't move!" he shouted again. I froze.

"J-Jen," I stuttered, my fingers lifting backwards in the air, feeling for the scratchy feeling her lacy shirt had.

"I'm here," she said. Frantically, I whipped my head around, ready for her to explain everything. A prank, I thought. It must be all just one big, hilarious joke. "Jen," I whispered. "Wh-what's going on?"

She grabbed my hand, her thumb pressing down harder and harder on my fingers. "Chloe." I instantly tensed up hearing my real name. Jen had always called me by Demi. "I think it would be best if you shut up," she whispered into my ear, her breath curling, smoking like a dragon breathing fire.

She yanked at something in her bra, bringing it out to reveal its smooth black surface. "You have him?" she asked into what I could only assume was a walky-talky.

"Negative," a low and husky male voice said. "He darted as soon as he saw us drop from the trees. I Imagine he's hidin' out somewhere round here."

"Good. Keep the area secure. Pull in the troops from the second squad. Have them search the area. If they find nothing relay the message to the third squad. Don't let him get past park limits."

"Roger that."

Jen turned back to me. "Don't be getting any big ideas, Saunders. I know all about you and you're little friend." She pointed out into the forest. "You try to escape into there, squad two shoots you. They're trained, heartless soul eaters." She shrugged her shoulders. "But let's say, you do get through squad two. Then you met up with squad three. They're armed with arrows, axes, knives, _and_ guns. They have the latest technology in eye wear allowing them to see through the dark forest easily. They were bread to kill. You think squad two is mean, just wait until you met squad three."

I chewed my lip. This wasn't making sense. Nothing was making sense. "Who are you," I whispered, to afraid to raise my voice any higher. Cold chills were pulsing up and down my body. The hairs on my arms were spiked up, waving in the breeze. Barely five feet away stood a short girl, about my height, holding a massive gun aimed at my head.

"You don't know?" Jen laughed. "How curious. Now listen here, Chloe, the only way you have even an ounce of a chance of surviving tonight is if you stay with me. I'm not making any promises," she shrugged as if to show her lack of commitment, "but the chances you'll make it out there,"—she pointed all around her, nodding at each black-capped person—"with them…Slim to none." A new kind of smile formed on her face. A smile like I had never witnessed before. "It's too bad your little friend didn't stay longer. Maybe I would have let him say a final goodbye before blasting him to pieces. Oh well, this way saves me the trouble of having to chat with him. Talk about awkward silences right, Chloe?" She nodded her head, walking away, pulling me after her. "And to think you almost didn't come."

I stumbled after her, her hand tight around my wrist, cutting off my circulation; her red hair swishing in my face, choking me with fake fruit smells. Together we paraded through the playground and to the swings that had swung so freely just minutes ago. "Sit," she ordered. I sat. My butt made a clanging sound as the chains smashed into each other, knocking my head. The spinning in my brain flipped me upside down, side to side, then back right side up.

_Beep Beep! _Jen's walky-talky said. "We have movement near squad two. Prepare for battle."

"Shit," Jen muttered, poking around in her pockets. The sound of metal bars clashing against each other rose from the inside of her jeans leaving me to wonder, _what's going on down there?_ A moment later she pulled a pair of shiny, silver handcuffs from her front pocket. "Who knew you could learn so much from a child's show? Simple spell really," she told me.

Effortlessly, she took the handcuffs and latched one to my hand and the other to my swings chain. "W-what are you?" I asked, coming up with enough courage to speak.

"Supernatural wise?" she asked, checking the hold on the cuffs. "Tall, red-haired, and beautiful." She flashed me her winning smile. "Now, there's a battle going on in section two and I'm not about to miss it. I won't be here to babysit you like the firm wants…but these cuffs should keep you locked up pretty tight." She looked out to the woods, then back to me. "So, just as a refresher, let me remind you of squad two and three. The on-going battle: section two, just past those trees, with squad two. The scientifically breed killers: little farther down, by the entrance, section three, squad three." She danced backward heading for the forest. "You know, Saunders, you arranged your own death.

"Until you told me your real name, I had no idea who you were." She waved her hand around dismissively, watching me with a sly smile. "Killer spell you had concealing your identity. But it all came apart when you told me who and what you were that day after I caught you talking to a ghost in the coffee shop. That's when I made a few calls to the good people at my second job and told them all about you. Of course they told me I would have to get some kind of…proof."

She suddenly threw her arms in the air and smiled. "Been planning this for days now. It was just pure luck running into your little friend. And afterwards a little birdie from hell tipped us off about whom he was and what I had to do to break the spell encasing your identity." She smiled at me and twirled with her hands in the air. "And that's how we ended up here." Her red hair swooshed as she spun running head first into the woods toward the fight. "I'll be right back, Saunders. Try not to miss me too much." And then she disappeared into the leaves and trees.

* * *

It was hard to except that my best friend of seven years was a traitor. Working with the Cabal no less—it took me a while to figure that one out, but you try to do big thinking while a girl aims a gun at your head. The rational side of myself yelled at the not-so-rational side of me to try to escape, _don't let them take you_, but I guess I still had a bit of guilty hope that Jen would jog back laughing and tell me it was all one big joke and that the guns were really squirt guns. Then she would call me gullible and laugh some more. That's why I hadn't run earlier while I still had had my chance. It was all so unbelievable. _MY BEST FRIENDS A TRAITOR _never occurred to me, even while she led me to the swings and locked me up with these shining silver handcuffs. But her explanation was too detailed to ignore. She knew too much.

I assumed Jen was a witch. She never came out and said it, blunt or otherwise, but how else could she have done that spell on her pockets—the one to make them larger? Definitely a witch. Though, it was odd that Tori never picked up anything on her. Weren't witch and sorcerers able to tell when other witches and sorcerers were around? Or was that just for sorcerers? I couldn't remember. Either way Tori hadn't known. If she had, we would've been out of here seven years ago, pushing our boundaries elsewhere.

I let the swing sway softly, making circles in the dirt with my feet. You would think I would be in more of a rush right about now, but I wasn't. I was eerily calm. With no one around, the park was serenely quiet and relaxing. In fact, I was the calmest I had been all week—handcuffed to a pole, swinging in the cold fall air, waiting for my Traitor Best Friend to return and, probably, kill me. There was something very humorous about that.

"So what now?" I asked myself. My words bounced harmlessly off the trees and the empty slides. Even my slight echo sounded bored, like I was in no rush to be anywhere. Which, now that I thought about it, I kind of was. Tori had made it plenty clear that I had an hour to get myself home or else she'd be here, and if she wound up here she'd be captured too and I couldn't let that happen. So I would either have to move this shin-dig along, or get the heck out of here.

I tugged on my chained arm, seeing if my hand might simply slip through. Wasn't happening. The cold dead thing I used to call my hand was no longer responding to my arm; instead it sent sharp pinpricks through my fingers.

I tried shimming the cuff down the pole, then stomping on it, but all that got me was a throbbing, needle pricking, now bruised, dead hand.

So I got up from my crouch and made my way to sit. And as I settled back into my swing seat, I thought to summon Mason or Liz or someone. But Mason would end up causing more problems, Liz would freak—and while she genuinely probably _wanted_ to help, there wasn't much she could do, and really, I knew no one else. I hated to say it, but I was screwed.

Tori was also screwed.

Kit, though…—Kit might make it. If he stayed away and ran while he could, now that the border lines had faded as Jen had implied, he just might live. I decided that was the most I could hope for.

So I gave up. It was so _easy_ to give up. And it felt good. I felt like I was free, in a way, even though I was trapped more than I had been before. No more did I have to impress people with my courage, because I was done. "I give up!" I shouted to no one in particular. "I'm the loser in my own game! I screwed up and it's my own fault I'm here." I swung in circles, my head back, eyes closed, talking to the clouds or maybe the man in the moon. "Not that it matters anymore, but I was looking forward to escaping this town with Kit and Tori. I thought, 'finally its time for me to live.'" I laughed hard and low, biting my lower lip. "I always was too optimistic for my own good."

The leaves shifted and moved as a burst of cold air blew through the park. My hair blew in my face, sticking to the wet spots on my lips. If I strained my ears I could hear the howls and shouts of men battling in the dark. With only one target, many people must have been mistaken as another. But that's what happened when you handed two hundred idiots fully loaded guns—and play with magic on top of that.

I shoved at the dirt under my feet. "Stupid stupid plan." A lung full of dirt shifted in the air making me choke on my words. Tears flew from my eyes. My whole body shook in tremors as the coldness attacked me in bursts again and again. "This whole thing is my own stupid fault," I cried, grinding my teeth, feeling the grit of sand between my molars. I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. Everything had been my fault.

"I told you so."

My eyes snapped open, blurry from tears, bloodshot from the dusty air I was kicking. My feet stilled.

"Look at the mess your in now." a tisking sound came from behind me. "Damn it, Chloe, am I always going to have to save you?"

I sprang from my seat, my hand jumping to pinpricks and needles. Saliva pooled in my mouth. The clanging metal of my handcuffs rose above all sounds in the park. The ghost of laughter echoed in my ears. I searched the woods where Jen had disappeared into, seeing nothing but darkness and trees. Silence.

Muscles tense, eyes craned, I leaned back against the pole. The sharp tang of cold metal hitting my arms sent a shiver down my back and an extra pa-pang to my heart.

"Hey."

So stunned and startled, hearing the three short letters coming from directly behind my left shoulder, I let loose a deep down, bone chilling, horror film scream letting it die out with a whimper. All my senses were on a record high. The little hairs on my arms standing up in cowardly fear. With a sudden burst of adrenaline I darted to the other side of the pole, pulled back my free arm and threw a punch at the looming shadow. I felt my hand hit hot flesh—_really_ hot flesh. I pulled my hand back, cradling it near my stomach. It stung—the coldness my hand had been mixed with the insane hotness of the man.

"Not the time," the man said grabbing hold of my arm. In one quick motion he broke the cuff attached to my wrist, freeing me.

"W-wh-wha—"

"C'mon." He pulled me after him, not bothering to slow down or tell me where we were going. When I stumbled, he yanked on my arm and grunted, when I slowed, he tightened his grip on me. Until slowly, his fingers tight and unmovable around my wrist, became lighter and lighter until he let go completely. I looked up. He had me in front of a car with the door open, keys in his hand, dangling from his finger. "Get in," he grunted.

And in that second everything caught up to me. I was being taken. Maybe saved. I wasn't sure which. But why? And by who? I couldn't get in the car with just anyone, could I? What if this was a terrible ploy to make me think that I was being rescued when I was really being taken to a prison cell somewhere? "No."

The park lamp clicked brighter, allowing more light to find its way over to us. I looked up.

The man—I had seen him before, from somewhere. My mind was reeling. He looked familiar, like someone I should know, like someone I had known. He was tall, enormously tall, with muscles that were traceable even through his long-sleeved black shirt and jacket. His hair fell effortlessly over his eyes, brown and scruffy.

"Get in the car, Chloe," he demanded.

I stepped back away from him, edging away from the car. "No."

"It's not a question." He went to move me forcefully. His hand, large next to mine, grabbed my wrist and yanked me closer to him. Being the klutz I was, I stumbled forward, knocking my knee on his and blindly reaching out for his chest to catch my fall. Luckily he straightened me out before I fell completely. "Like I said, Chloe, this really isn't the time for that." He flashed me a crooked smile.

"Y-you're—" I stuttered. Jen—her date—her so called "love of her life". What was he doing helping me? Wasn't he supposed to be out in the battlefield trying to find that guy? The one who Jen said knows me? Unless he…wait…He was the guy? The one hundreds of murdering supernaturals were out right that very second trying to kill? My life had suddenly taken an incredibly unexpected turn.

"Chloe," he said slowly.

A blast of gunfire erupted from the trees. Bullets flew at us, mulch lifting up and pelting our legs, the ground trembled with the weight of a hundred men and women marching towards the car with the rapidness equivalent to one hundred dogs chasing one hundred cats.

"Oh my—"

"In you go," the man said, lifting my up and into the car. He slammed the door shut then ran behind the car, ducking seconds before a bullet came flying through the air right where he had been standing. My previous calm had faded. I gulped down air as if my supply of it was running short and I screamed every time a loud _boom_ shook the car. Seconds later the car was moving, racing backwards down the road and the man was sitting in the drivers' seat.

"Stay down," he said. So I did.

"Cover your head," he said. So I covered my head. My hands protected my skull as I sat in a crouch like every little kid was taught in school when we had tornado drills. My body shook like a pin just hit by a bowling ball at Big Al's Bowling Alley.

"And, Chloe?" the man asked. I peeked up at him from my spot slunk down along the floor. From here he looked like a giant—which he kind of already was.

"Y-y-yes," I said, my voice quavering.

"Its good to have you back."

I turned my head back, tucking it in spot between my knees, eying the black matted floor, perfectly washed, with no stains or trash crusted into it. _Well_.

* * *

Five minutes later we were somehow on the highway. Like magic. The car had taken a large toll I was sure, but we had made it. And the man that looked eerily familiar—I swear the little tickling in the back of my mind shouting THINK meant something—was whistling like nothing had happened. Like we had just been out for a nice stroll through the woods and were now heading home.

I sat up. Hair was stuck to my forehead and cheeks. My clothes were wrinkled. I had half moon lines carved into my thighs from where I had stuck my nails to refrain from screaming bloody murder as the car speed along the road, bullets nailing the car. "Hey," I said, turning to the man.

He looked over at me, a deep, hard look in his eyes. His whistling died down. "You look good," he said.

I rolled my eyes and pulled up my hair, a red flush crossing my cheek bones. Who was he to judge me?

He switched lanes. I watched as the signs on the side of the road took me away from my home. "Where are we going?" I asked.

"Dunno."

I raised an eyebrow. "Should you know?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he switched lanes again, pulling out to enter a small town that consisted of a McDonald's, a video rental shack, an IHOP, and a place claiming that they bought gold. There was a dancing dollar sign outside of it.

"You hungry?" the man asked. I shook my head, but my stomach betrayed me, growling with a deep rumble.

He pulled into the McDonald's and I waited for him to get settled in the three car long line before asking, "Who are you?" The words bubbled out of my mouth like a bullet: fast, but when it hit you you understand what it meant.

He glanced at me sideways. I bit my bottom lip, keeping a steady glare on his face. "An old friend," he answered, eyes forward, moving the car with a steady beat.

"How do I kno—" I stopped. My head spun and I was sucked into a familiar feeling. I was drowning in my thoughts; being twisted into a different form…I had another vision. The picture came quicker this time, and with less freaking out. I stood and watched as I had in the past times these visions occurred.

_A house came into focus. A sign on its front lawn read Lyle House. The house blurred. I was now inside. The younger me sat at a table peeling carrots. A guy, blond hair, hazel eyes came into focus. _Simon_, the vision told me. He blurred. A basement popped up. Crawlspace. Zombies. Arms—safe, strong arms. The man from the car. No name. _

_The vision blurred. I saw nothing but black. _

_Then I saw a knife. Me, holding the knife. _

_Vision blurred._

_The man. Me. Us. In an ally fighting. Yelling loud, louder, louder! A woman. A camera. _Headline_: Missing Girl. $10,000 Reward. Black hair dye. _

_Vision blurred. _

_A bus. Simon and I sitting in front, the man and Tori in the back. Comic book. Sorcerer. The man tapping me. I look up. _

_Vision blurred._

_We're off the bus—the man and I. A forest. Angry yelling from bus driver, bus leaving. Dead girl. _

_Vision blurred. _

_Laughing. I smile, the man smiles. Jokes. We see a house. _Andrew's._ Running. No one home. Pool room, Tori and Simon. I don't smile, the man doesn't smile. _

_Vision blurred. _

_A mansion, huge, Victorian, straight out of a horror movie. Sleeping. Ghost, roof, falling. The man, his voice, his hand, he helps me off the roof. _

_Vision blurred. _

_Graveyard. Tori, me, and Margret. Shaking ground, too much, scared. Powerful. _Freak_. _

_Vision blurred. Long blackness._

_Then I'm in the woods again—with Simon. Funny. Laugh. Ice cream. Pause…Kiss, not right, missing. "It's someone else, isn't it?" Simon says. Sad. Crying. The man. Mad. Blames me. Yelling—always yelling. Sad._

_Vision blurred. _

_Escape. Running. The man hides in the attic. Ghost helping, Liz. Building called Edison HQ. Fight. Dr. Davidson. Dead, shot by also dead Mrs. Enright. Tori happy. Tori sad. _

_Vision blurred. _

_At a hotel with Kit, Aunt Lauren, Me, the man, Tori, and Simon. Tori confused, happy or sad? Forest, the man, me—_

_Vision blurred. So dark. Black. But then another color appears. Not a vision, but a thought. A thought attached to a color. A name attached to a thought attached to a color. Green, Best Friend, Derek. _

I was spinning again. Returning to my mind. Bouncing, turning, colors dancing. I got the feeling you get when your about to be sick. You know, when your stomach twists and clenches, like a fist just reached in and grabbed your insides and pulled. Then I was back.

"Chloe," the man was saying. "Chloe."

I opened my eyes. He was right there, kneeling over me. I was lying down, the seat pushed back so it laid straight. My head pounded, like basketballs being tossed around in my head. My heart hammered. But I was okay.

The visions were getting increasingly more usual, which scared me a little. Though this one had been odd. Instead of watching a scene play out like usual, it was like a slide show of events. Events from my past.

"Chloe?" He was there, in my vision. And...now I could put a name to him. Seeing him leaning over me, his hair away from his eyes, for the _first time_ this whole night I could see his eyes. His green eyes. The green that matched with the thought and the name from my vision.

"Derek?"

* * *

_**A/N: **_**Hey guys! Do you love me, or do you love me? So how was that for a reunion? Good? Think I could have done better? Tell me in a review. I'm sure you all will have plenty to say. I know this was one of my favorite chapters to write! Okay, so review please, and if you want don't forget to check out that "book cover" I made for this story. Happy Fourth of July to all the Americans out there, I know I can't wait to see some fireworks! **


	19. Chapter 19

_**A/N: **_**Hey, guys! I'm back with a few chapters to get in before my school year starts! So, not much to say. On to shout outs! **

**To**_** ffsah1, moon-called-princess (;D), Bookninja15, SweetDreamzz3116, Suzi1811, Bloody Phantom, Jenaca, M1DNITELOVER, s0phie, XNatsumiX, Dawn War, **_**and **_**Obssessedcrazedbookworm **_**thanks for the reviews! You guys are amazing for sticking with this story even though It's been dragged on forever. I luve you guys! **

_**Murrey-2012: **_**Thanks for the review! How Derek knew Chloe was going to be there will be revealed later . . . as usual. And she remembers very little of him. Basically nothing besides his name and the things she's learned about him from her visions. **

_**BeachBallofLove: **_**Thanks for the review! Sorry I didn't update soon. But happy really late Birthday!**

* * *

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Darkest Powers.**_

* * *

**Previously . . . **

**I opened my eyes. He was right there, kneeling over me. I was lying down, the seat pushed back so it laid straight. My head pounded, like basketballs being tossed around in my head. My heart hammered. But I was okay.**

**The visions were getting increasingly more usual, which scared me a little. Though this one had been odd. Instead of watching a scene play out like usual, it was like a slide show of events. Events from my past.**

**"Chloe?" He was there, in my vision. And . . . now I could put a name to him. Seeing him leaning over me, his hair away from his eyes, for the first time this whole night I could see his eyes. His green eyes. The green that matched with the thought and the name from my vision.**

**"Derek?"**

* * *

"Yeah," he whispered, his breath tickling my skin as he half-bent over me. His green eyes shone down on mine, clouded with worry. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice portraying what his face had already told me.

I moaned quietly, shoving my hands to my head, pressing down hard on my temples.

I wanted to sit up, I wanted to push him away and tell him that of course I was okay, but a throbbing pain in the back of my head stopped me from saying—or doing—anything. Just thinking made knives of torture slash across my head in a viscous attempt to slice my brain in two.

"Chloe," Derek whispered urgently, like he was in a rush to be somewhere and I was slowing him down. I rolled my head to the side and closed my eyes again. The man, Derek, was my "best friend" according to my vision; he would just have to understand that I needed a moment to rest. A moment to think. A moment to—

"Damn it, Chloe, say something!" Panic in its most raw form took over his voice. He whispered my name in a repetition that I feared would never end. It was like the song that never ended, just replayed over and over and over again in your head, louder and louder until you couldn't handle it any more and wanted to pound your head against the wall until it was so bloody and battered you had something else to concentrate on, or as I call it, the Never Ending Pinwheel of Death.

"Shut the . . ." I paused to drawl in a breath, "heck up."

Derek was quite after that. And in the silence of the car, with the pounding _pounding POUNDING _of my brain: I fell asleep.

* * *

I awoke to the sound of a dull humming. A cheery sound that filled the car with noise and a soft sense of familiarity. I rolled over, squinting at Derek through heavy eyes. His body sat relaxed against the soft, cushioned car seat, his head titled upward, his eyes closed. The humming noise drifted from his mouth in an off tune buzz. I shifted uncomfortably, repositioning myself. "I know that song," I whispered. My lips felt like feathers moving up and down in a gentle breeze, papery thin.

One of his eyes cracked open, an eyebrow rising to match. "I know," he mumbled before closing his eye again, humming the rest of the lyrics.

"What is it called," I asked placing my hands on my knees, leaning closer to him. His fingers twitched, shaking with an unnatural beat.

"Guess."

My lip jutted out as I leaned back. I racked my brain for the song as he hummed along.

One lonely picture popped into my head, but the edges were faded and the photo was bleary. Mentally, I tugged on it, letting it solidify in my hands. Closer it came to me, and the closer it got the more clear it became. And just when I though I had it, really truly had it—it ripped, not shredding in two, but a million pieces, gathering on the floor like paper confetti. "I don't know," I confessed.

Abruptly the song stopped and Derek sat up, facing me. "You tell me when you figure it out." Then he turned away looking out the window on his side, no longer humming.

Slowly, I shifted in my seat again, lifting my feet into the seat, sitting criss-coss. Derek was making it very hard to keep the conversation form veering into any awkward silences. Very much like the one we were sitting in right then.

"So, uh, how—" I started, trying to stir up the flow of words. But of course, Derek cut me off. His manners were simply _impeccable_.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I'm feeling better," I said carefully. I didn't want to lie. That was the last thing I needed. But to go as far as saying I was okay . . . well, that'd be stretching the truth too far. Could anyone really be "okay" after the day I had just been through? I would have to say no. _Better_, though, made sense. No bullets were flying at me. The car was at a stand still. No mysterious visions were protruding my mind. Yes, I'd say I was _better_.

He nodded.

We sat in an uncomfortable silence for about thirty seconds. I counted. Until finally, I asked, "So, uh, how long was I out?"

He glanced over at me than looked away, studying a dumpster about ten feet far from us. "Not long. Five minutes maybe."

My eyebrows shot up. "Oh. That's good." I smiled at him with closed lips. He grunted.

Twenty seconds passed.

"So . . ." I was starting to see why we had gotten into so many fights in our past—he obviously wasn't good with conversation. Bless the girl who falls in love with him. She'd need super powers just to get as simple a sentence as "Would you like cream or sugar with your coffee?" out of him.

"Well," I said, clearing my throat for a second time, "I'm sure you have plenty of questions, as do I, so I think we—"

"I got you some food," Derek interrupted suddenly. My mouth, still open, formed an O "Um, thanks," I said, watching as he pulled out a white paper bag with a neon yellow M flashing on the side, the words below it declaring that "I'm lovin' it."

"When did you . . . ?"

He handed the bag to me, smiling slightly as he set it in my lap. "While you were sleeping I bought myself some food. I remembered your stomach growling earlier so I picked you up something too."

"Oh, you didn't have to—"

He shrugged, nonchalantly. "Don't mention it."

"No, seriously," I said. "You didn't have to do that."

"Chloe," he said, dropping his gaze to fit with mine, "drop it. You were hungry. I got food. Just eat."

"But—" I said, a faint smile forming on my lips.

"Chloe," he growled back.

I snickered and opened the bag. Inside I found fries, a wrapped sandwich that I guessed was a burger, and a strawberry milkshake. A few napkins were scattered around the bottom, plus about ten packets of ketchup. I glanced at Derek through my lashes. He had a blank look on his face as he stared out the window towards the highway. A slight crease formed in the middle of his forehead. I grinned once more and turned back to my food. First, I unwrapped the burger, holding my breath in anticipation. Meat, cheese, bacon, red onions, and pickles, no lettuce or mayo and—I lifted the top—a slab of honey mustard all slathered between two sesame seed buns. I groaned in pleasure. Derek had somehow ordered exactly what I liked, right down to the sauce on top. Through the thickness of the burger, I smiled at him.

* * *

There was a lot of new information to sort through in my head. But most of all I knew we—Derek and I—were going to have to get going. Tori would be leaving to "pick me up" from the park in about ten minutes if I didn't stop her in time. Which would be bad. I also knew that I'd have to get Derek to take me home without explaining to him where we were actually going. It'd take to long to try to explain everything to him, and by the time I was done, we'd be too late anyway. So pretty much he'd just have to trust me. Us being "best friends" and all, he should understand, or, so I reasoned.

" . . . So, you'll do it?" I finished. My explanation had been short and simple, pointing out that I had little time to talk so it'd be super nice if he could make a decision stat.

"Chloe," he started, his voice taking on a bit of a whine. But before he could finish telling me that he didn't like my idea and there was _no way in Hell_ that he was going to let me go into my house _alone_ where the Cabal could be waiting, secretly hidden behind a dark corner to ambush me, I stopped him.

"You were right, you know," I informed him. "About my whole deal-with-a-demon escape plan. It was a stupid idea. I should have never done it." I shook my head, like I was real ashamed with myself.

"Yeah," was all he said.

"But this is different." I stopped shaking my head and started nodding. "I don't have time to tell you everything yet, although I wish I could—I swear. And just as soon as we get somewhere safe we can talk all we need. But now is _not_ the time." I kept my eyes locked with his trying to portray to him how serious I was. I only had eight minutes to make it home now and the clock was ticking.

Derek gave me a dubious look. For a second I thought he was going to keep arguing but then he sighed and pulled the car into drive, speeding out of the parking lot.

Inside my head I did a little happy dance while running in circles screaming "whoo-hoo!"

Out loud I was a little more serious, using the great phrase all action packed movies featured at some point in time: I said, "Step on it, buddy. I've only got seven minutes." He sighed again and pressed on the gas a little harder. I'd always wanted to say that, though the occasion never having had arose. Swerving to the side, he just barely scrapped past the car in front of him causing the driver to honk and scream curse words out of his darkly tinted car window. "Directions," he demanded, his eyes never straying from the road.

So the whole way home I gave him simple directions like, "Turn left at the next stop" and "Keep going straight" and "Take a sharp right at the second light in the next town over." Neither of us talked when I wasn't spluttering out directions. It didn't bother me much. Just watching the different colored houses and buildings race by was a distraction enough. And soon, we were pulling into my neighborhood. Neighbor's houses flying by until we came to a screeching halt where I motioned him to stop. Muttering to Derek to "Stay there!" I tumbled out of the car, jogging up my driveway humming _Home Sweet Home_ by Motley Crue.

I pushed open the door not surprised it wasn't locked. Tori claimed she didn't have the patience to lock and unlock the door. "Besides" she'd gone on, "if somebody was dumb enough to break into our house I'd just kick their ass." It was black and white to her. She'd seen no fault in her words and would get on me when I _did_ lock the door. Today, though, I was so very thankful of her ignorance.

Finding my house looking just as warm and cozy as I'd left it earlier was a huge relief. A part of me had feared that all the bad things that went down today were all going to show up in my home. The blood spilled would paint the walls and the men dead would line up one by one pressing their dead fingers to my face, making me scream until I couldn't hear anything but the echo of my own horror filled life; the realistic possibility of it actually happening hanging above me like a beacon of death.

Yet death wasn't there, only the fear of it arriving. And to be honest, that was worse. Once death was there knocking on your door, spitting in your face, you became numb—you succumbed to it and it was okay. Fear, on the other hand, followed you every where, it taunted you. It made you want death. In short, fear took over your life, death just ended it.

Walking through the house to Tori's room, I thought about that and decided fear wasn't going to take over my life. Not when I was just getting it back. So I shoved fear's ugly face away and thought of other things, like how I was going to have to leave the only home I'd ever remembered having. Nothing would ever be the same after tonight, not ever. And it wasn't like there was anything I could do about it. If I stayed, the Cable would be on us within a matter of hours. Jen knew her way around, and she was surely already gathering her men to make a new plan and re-attack. We'd have to go; I'd have to get over it.

I stopped at Tori's bedroom door. Pressing my ear against the flat surface of the wood door, I listened to what sounded like a fight with something big. Grunts of frustration were being let loose and the tumble and fall of large items scattering across the floor sounded up to my ear. The pad of running feet came from the other side. My heart stopped a loud thump came, this time only a few feet away, making me stumble relentlessly away from the door, tripping over my own feet and ending up sprawled across the floor, helpless to whoever—or whatever—burst through the door. Panic struck my heart. The door knob turned. I tried to wrestle myself up, but I was too frightened to do anything but tangle myself up more, instead, I mashed my eyes closed. The door creaked open slowly, screeching with sounds of old rust. Someone grunted. . . . Then came a laugh. A high pitched, snorted, pig-like kind of laugh. The kind of laugh that was all so familiar to me.

I peaked out from the spaces between my fingers. Tori. She stood towering over me in heels, tight black jeans, and a black off the shoulder, deep, round neck, shirt with the sleeves cut so they hung in sliding strips down the upper most part of her arm. Behind her she was pulling a large black suitcase designed with faint silver flowers covering the sides and pockets of the bag.

"Don't be afraid, Chloe," she said in a low, sultry voice. "I won't hurt you"—she let go of her suitcase, holding her hands a distance apart, dancing a ball of electricity between them, slowly walking closer to me—"_too_ much."

I screamed. Loud.

Tori dropped her hands, distinguishing the bright glow with a sizable _zap_. Clacking her heels on the hard linoleum floor, she walked towards me. She bent down to my height, moved my chin with one long finger painted the same midnight-storm blue as before, looked straight in my eyes, and with a whispered, sexy-smooth voice she said, "Just kidding."

She backed away before I had the chance to smack her. Her laugh followed her backwards to where she picked up her suitcase and rolled it over towards the couch. I mentally cursed her in every language I knew—which was only one, having never actually finished Spanish class.

I scrambled up, dusting imaginary lent from my clothes in a vain attempt to dignify my embarrassment.

"Tori," I said, walking towards her.

She swiveled around on the backs of her heels. Her face showed only her bare amusement. "Yes."

"We have to leave. Now," I said in all seriousness.

Unfazed, she flicked her sleek, dark hair behind her shoulder. "Don't kid like that, Chloe. It's not funny."

I stepped closer to her, grabbing hold of her wrists. "I'm not joking, Tori. We have to leave. The Cabal's after us, or, uh, me—whatever! We have to get Kit and leave." My words felt heavy on my lips and it hit me just how serious this was. I was going to leave with nothing. No memories, no clothes (no time to pack), N.O.T.H.I.N.G. Most likely this'd going to be the last time I ever saw this house. This neighborhood. My job. A tear jumped from my eye and fell down my cheek.

"That's not possible," she argued, pulling back on her wrists. "Kit—the spell—he said that—" She shook her head furiously.

"That doesn't matter," I said suddenly angry with her. "Why did you pack that bag?" I asked her, squeezing her harder until I felt that my fingers would never unlock from around her wrists. She struggled harder.

"Because!"

"Why, Tori," I shouted at her, taking a step closer, getting up in her face. "Why!"

"Because," she said. "Because just in case. I wanted to be ready. I-I-I, but—not yet. Not yet," she repeated. She pulled at her arm one more time before giving up. Tears sliding down her face, mirroring my own; both of us wept as we clung to one another.

The air around us stilled as we both stood unmoving. The only light was coming from a small lamp in the corner with a weak bulb. And together we wept about losing our home and our lives and about how sucky our world was. And then we stopped. Just as easily as we started, we stopped. Our tears dried. Our fingers unclenched. Tori pursed her lips and I bit mine. I nodded back at her bag, motioning with my head for her to bring it. Her heels clacked against the empty floor. 'Which car—"

"Neither." I looked away from her, sniffed, walked into the hall. "Derek's outside waiting for us."

The steady beat of her shoes cut short and she said "really" from somewhere behind me. I nodded into empty, black space, then realizing that she couldn't see me, said, "Yep."

Her pace picked up again, this time with the soft roll of wheels. She caught up to me at the door and we stood side by side looking out the small rectangular window beside the door. I saw her peek at me from the side of her eye. "Well I'll be damned," she said. Then she snapped her finger sharp, and quick. From the living room a crackle like sound appeared and we were immersed in darkness.

I pushed open the door not knowing what else to do, but Tori shoved past me, a lithe smile on her lips. "Shotgun," she called as she strode forward like she owned the world. And in a way, she did.

I trailed after her, careful not to trip over any cracks in the pavement. That'd be just like me. I'd fall, break my arm and then put everybody in an even sourer mood than before. No, from now on I was going to be more careful. Starting n—

"Hey, wolfboy!" Tori shouted as she settled herself into the front seat of Derek's car. I glanced up at her, forgetting to watch where I was going and, sure as day, I fell. I fell and I hit the ground hard. With an Oomph! I lay, stunned, on the ground for a few moments, just looking at the stars and the sky. Then I rolled over onto my butt. My hip broke my fall. I could already feel a bruise coming on. Quickly, I checked over the rest of my body deeming it "okay," except for the rough scratches turning a bright red on my palms. They stung a little. Couldn't say I liked the feel of stinging hands. For a second I wondered if that was what it felt like for Tori to hold fire in her hands, or electricity. But then I remembered I was sitting on the ground and that Tori and Derek were in the car waiting for me so I got up, sucking in a sharp breath as my hip slide against the frame of the car. Real sly like, I waved at the two in the front and winced my way to the back seat. I opened the door and sat down with a thud. "Let's not talk about it," I said. Both of them giggled slightly and then we were pulling out of the driveway.

* * *

Tori gave Derek directions to Kit's house, bickering back and forth with him the whole way there. I sat in the back and brooded. Well, that and thought (I had a lot of thinking to do). Mostly I thought about the thing Tori had called Derek. The thing that had made me trip in surprise. Wolfboy. Truthfully, I hadn't even known Derek was a supernatural. It'd never crossed my mind. But it made sense. All my friends from the past seemed to be supernatural. Simon, who I kind of remembered on my own but had learned more about from my visions, was a sorcerer. Tori was a witch. Kit was a sorcerer. It only made sense for Derek to be a supernatural of some kind too, but I would have suspected him to be a sorcerer if anything. He was Kit's son, or so Kit claimed, and I couldn't remember otherwise. However, looking at Derek now, he looked nothing like Kit, or the brief memory I'd had of Simon. _Could he have been adopted?_ I'd have to ask. I mean, awful big coincidence, don't you think? Accidentally adopting a werewolf. Ha.

My eye's drifted from house to house, watching cats roam the empty street. The dark of the night was still going strong, stars giving out their best grins. We had exited my and Tori's neighborhood, now entering a new complex that consisted of apartments that could be described as "smaller than a breadbox." Kit's apartment alone held only three rooms, those being the kitchen, the living room, and his bedroom. It was cozy. Just big enough for him, and that's the way he kept it. Never inviting people over except for Tori and I occasionally.

"This one?" I heard Derek ask Tori from ahead.

"Mmm-hmm."

I picked at my nails silently. Everything was just so strange with Derek around. Like I was the only one who didn't know him, which was also very true, but it made me sad. Like when someone tells a joke and everyone laughs and you kind of laugh too except that you don't really get it, and everyone else can see you don't get it too. Kind of humiliating.

"Who's going in? Me . . . Or you?" Tori asked, leaning her chin against the headrest, looking pointedly at me.

"Rock paper scissors?"

She titled her head. "Sure."

I scooted forward, careful not to bump my hip on anything. We brought our fists out into our playing field. Slow motion music trilled in my head.

I said: "Rock."

Tori said: "Paper."

I said: "Scissors."

We both said: "Shoot!"

Our hands flew out in different directions while our minds raced, trying to read each others fingers. We guessed what the other was going to do, then . . . BAM! . . . We landed our final shot. I played paper. Tori played rock. Paper beats rock. I repeated my thoughts aloud.

"Shit," she cursed, turning back in her seat and unbuckling herself. She left without another word, the car door slamming shut in her wake. Derek and I sat, drenched, in a thick goo called silence.

Above us, the car light faded until it was out.

Drenched in silence and now speckled pretty with darkness.

* * *

"Hey," Derek said. I'd counted to forty two before either of us had said anything. I started over. One . . . two . . . three . . . four . . . "Hey," I said

Fifteen seconds later. "Tori hasn't changed much."

Seven seconds. "Nope."

Derek looked at my through the car mirror. His eyes were half covered by his dark hair, half illuminated by the moon. My heart-clenched involuntarily.

Thirty seconds. "You died your hair again."

Four seconds measured by a quickly beating heart. "Not recently."

One second. "Oh."

His eyes roamed away from mine. My heart beat loudly for several more seconds. (Eleven to be exact.)

Fifty one seconds after the previous eleven. "So, I figured we'd go to my house after this." His fingers raked through his hair for three seconds. Then he settled his hand back on the steering wheel for five more seconds before I said, "Okay."

Two seconds. "It might be a little crowded."

Ten seconds passed before I realized I didn't know what to say. Twelve seconds passed after that until he talked again. "Chloe, I, uh, need to tell you something."

Three seconds. "Okay," I repeated.

Thirteen seconds. "I-I-I—" four seconds after he stuttered until he started again—"I have a—" The door opened.

A blast of cold air hit me from the front and the side as Kit and Tori slid in. They were gone for two hundred and seven seconds. About four minutes. "That was quick," I said to Tori. She elbowed me in the side and I gasped loudly. Louder than I should have. Everyone turned to look at me. I released the breath I took in and said in a small voice, "Hi." My cheeks were red for sure. Derek gave me the squinty eyes, glaring at me with his green orbs. Kit watched him. Tori watched Kit watch Derek. I tried to laugh the best I could, my breath hitching when I moved too much. "Sorry," I laughed. "Just a little sore that's all." I nodded at Tori who shrugged and focused on Derek.

"Sounded like it hurt," he said.

I shrugged, not agreeing to anything. My eyes couldn't lock with his. They had to look away. And I couldn't talk. I would stutter. I just knew I would. Then everybody would know I was lying and make a big fuss over nothing.

"Are you telling the truth," he asked me like I was five. I shrugged again. He turned completely around in his seat. "Chloe," he growled. I glared at him. He glared back. I crossed my arms against my chest, puffing from the pain I caused myself by moving. I hoped I didn't wince.

"Derek," Tori snapped, pushing past me to get in his face. I bit my lip so hard it started to bleed. "Two seconds after reuniting with your dad, who, I may add, you haven't seen in _seven years_, you are already moving on to fight with Chloe? Don't be a fucking idiot."

His glower lessened until he adverted his eyes. I shifted my eyes, too, moving them to trace the pattern of my shoes. Tori sighed. Keeping my eyes downcast, I listened in on Kit and Derek. Their voices were hushed, but loud enough that I could hear semi-well.

"Dad," Derek said. His voice was packed with longing and sadness, but the good kind (the kind that had been dipped and covered in a new happiness).

"Derek." A moment's pause came. In my head I filled the hole in with a hug, playing out there conversation in the comfort of my mind.

"It's good to see you, son." Two short pats were given and I pictured Kit releasing his boy, but keeping his eyes on him. "Give Chloe a break. It's been a long day."

Derek grunted. The screech of tires told me we were moving and I slowly raised my eyes higher. From the mirror I saw Derek's eyes dancing over me. _This isn't over_, I imagined him saying. _Not even close_, I thought, then closed my eyes and readied myself for the ride.

* * *

_Tap. Tap. Tap. _I opened my eyes for a second to see Tori clawing her nails on my leg in tapping motions. "Chloe," she whispered, her voice seeming to float and drift off. "Were almost there . . ." Fading voices, fading, fading, gone.

* * *

"_So, Wolfboy," a voice, that sounded like Tori's, inquired, "Have you made out yet? That seemed like some pretty heavy tension back there. All that bottled up angst from years of being apart. Oh, the perils of love!" She snickered._

"_Tori," growled the voice equivalent of Derek. _

_Tori made a shocked noise. "What! She's out. Dead to the world. Asleep. Poor girl hasn't rested well in nights. I could hear her tossing and turning all the way from my room—and I slept in the basement. I wouldn't be surprised if she slept all through tomorrow." _

_A soft touch moved pieces of hair from my face gently setting them down behind my ear. "So, tell me." _

_A new voice arose. "Tori, he doesn't have to answer that. It's personal." Even I could tell that the voice, probably Kit, wanted to know as well. He didn't guard his emotions well. _

"_No," came a gruff voice. Derek. "She doesn't remember anything about me . . . or . . . _us_, so I'm not going to tell her. I wouldn't do that to her."_

"_But the spell . . . It broke! Shouldn't her memories come back?"_

_No one said anything. _

"_That just doesn't make sense. There's got to be a way we can fix her. A spell or . . . or something. . . ."_

"_Tori, she's not a toy, we can't just _fix_ her. She's not broken." Kit said. Except Tori was right, I did feel broken. But not the kind of broken you could fix. More like permanent broken. Useless broken—the kind you threw in the trash and forgot about. _

_Tori spoke again, this time in more of a whisper, "Does that mean you don't love her anymore?"_

_A stunned silence filled the car. Someone sucked in a breath. I sat frozen, not really by choice though, I was still asleep, hearing this in a kind of in-and-out state, I guessed. _

_Then Derek spoke, his words soft, like a caress from a gentle lover, and forceful so no one could mistake his words. "Of course I still love her. I'll always lover her. No matter what."_

"_Even if she wanted to marry someone else?" Tori asked._

"_Even then."_

* * *

"Should we wake her?"

"No, I'll get her."

"Cute. But I hope you realize she's gonna be totally pissed when she wakes up."

A growl.

"Put a muzzle on it, Derek. You've been gone for seven years. She's more of my family than yours. She's my sister. I'm just looking out for her best interest."

Clacking footsteps faded into the distance. A light weight lifted me up. I opened my eyes for a second. Green eyes looked back at me. "Shhh, go back to sleep. I've got you." I closed my eyes and turned my face into the persons shoulder, taking deep, steady breathes of a scent that reminded me of home.

* * *

_**A/N: I hope you guys liked it. I have the next chapter ready so whenever I feel like putting it I will. But it'll defiantly be up by the seventeenth. Promise. So please review and tell me what you thought. Questions, comments. Anything and everything is expectable. Bye! **_


	20. Chapter 20

_**A/N: **_**Hey, guys! Told you I would update before the seventeenth! Wednesday is back to school for me so I don't know how often I'll be updating. I guess it just depends on how tough my teachers are. So on to shout outs! **

**To **_**murrey**__**-**__**2012, SweetDreamzz3116, suzi1811, ffsah1, obssessedcrazedbookworm, vampire1999, BeachBallofLove, moon-called-princess (;D), Bookninja15, M1dnitelover, LyssaL97**_**, and **_**amy**_** thank you for the reviews! U guys r the best pepl 2 eva walk my earth, like, OMG, ur amazin'. (Holy cow, I can NOT believe I did that. I absolutely hate texting lingo, but I needed to mix it up a little so there you go!)**

_**This spot is currently (and forever) empty. Really. No one had any questions so there was no personal shout outs. *Sad Face* But that's okay, I still luv you guys! **_

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own Darkest Powers. **

* * *

**(Derek's POV)**

The night was significantly colder than the night before. The wind had picked up, howling slightly as it raced through trees. Even the moon seemed to shrink, as if holding itself close. Warm and snug. I was standing outside of my car on the road. My house lit up brightly inside. Tori held open the back car door while talking to Dad. Inside, Chloe sat, asleep, shivering. The thought of having to stand out here any longer while they conversed made my head spin. Chloe could die of hypothermia, I thought. Her body would go blue, her fingers numb, icicles dropping from her nose. Of course, that wouldn't really happen. My imagination ran a little wild sometimes. I tapped my foot on the ground impatiently. But she could still get a cold, and even that would be bad. Bad enough to make me worry.

Dad glanced up at me, noticing my frustration for the first time. I tried to keep a steady gaze with him but my eyes twitched to the right, giving me away. He sighed loudly. "Should we wake her?" he asked me, nodding his head downwards towards Chloe. Her chest raised steadily, her nostrils flaring in and out slightly as she slept.

"No, I'll get her," I told him. No need to wake her up when I could carry her inside just as easily.

"Cute," Tori mocked, leaning against the open door, her hands shoved inside her jean pockets. White tendrils of air flew from her open mouth as she spoke. "But I hope you realize she's gonna' be totally pissed when she wakes up."

A deep rumbling came from the inside of my chest. My teeth flashed out, as I growled at her. For the record, I didn't mean to do it, it was more of an instinct. A wolf thing that I hadn't needed to control much over the past years. One of the advantages of living with a pack was that they all understood what you were going through and how you felt. Growling occurred often in the house, it didn't surprise anyone much anymore. Like I said: instinct.

"Put a muzzle on it, Derek. You've been gone for seven years. She's more of my family than yours. She's my sister. I'm just looking out for her best interest." She stepped closer to me giving me a warning look. I shifted my eyes away. I knew what she'd said was true. I was nothing more than a stranger that she had just met. Tori was her best friend; always was there for her—especially when I couldn't have been.

Tori stomped away making a show of leaving me behind. Dad gave me a look, a fast, apologetic look, and then followed after her. Quickly, I got to work, knowing that Tori would barge into the house without thinking anything of it. And while I had no problem with that, the ten some wolves that were probably in there, choosing to stay the night rather than spend it in the comfort of their own homes, might have something different to say about it.

I leaned down and slid my fingers under Chloe's body, her warmth radiating through my bones. I pulled her into my arms, lifting her up and out of the car. Her weight was nothing compared to some of the pack wolves I'd had to haul in the past.

As I stepped back, my foot scrunched down on a pile of leaves and one of Chloe's eyes opened, staring up at my face. "Shhh," I whispered to her. "Go back to sleep. I've got you." Not even seconds later her eyes were closed again and her head was snuggling deep into my shoulder blade. I chuckled softly as I closed the door shut, lightly, so I wouldn't wake her again. Then I made my way up the driveway path and to the front door.

Chloe pressed her face deeper into my chest, breathing heavily, her palms warm and bare against my shirt. I shifted her slightly so I could open the door, walking inside swiftly than slamming it shut behind me. I was immediately comforted by the safe smells of home and the warm air that greeted me with it. With Chloe tight against me I felt that I had everything thing that I could ever want and I wished that I could freeze time so it never ended. But as it went, nothing could last forever. Especially when Jason's face appeared around the corner and a mischievous smile spread blatantly across his face.

"Here she comes," he sang slowly, walking closer with his hands poised outward in a perfect pageant position. "Miss America!" He then spun on his toes and bowed to me.

I grunted moving forward down the hall. "I see your feeling better."

"Uh-huh," he said. "I don't know what was wrong with me. One second I'm blacked out on the couch, the next I'm up and fine. Who knows, it's a mystery, man."

I grunted. I didn't believe for one second that it was a mystery. There must have been a reason. You didn't just go from half dead to jumping around in a field of daises. It just didn't happen.

"So, I see you picked yourself up a pretty lady," he probed.

I stayed silent, walking into the living room, joining everyone. I stood in front of the couch where Dale and Bree were sitting. "Hey," I said.

They looked at me holding Chloe, glanced at each other, then got up without a word. The whole talking-with-only-your-eyes thing still got to me. It was a thing Chloe and I'd used to do as teenagers. We could go hours without saying a word to each other, just communicating through our eyes. It must have been a mate thing though, because one day Simon tried it . . . with me . . . and it just looked like he was darting his eyes around in a torrent of different motions. But then a lot of things Simon did looked like that. Take his dancing for example: absolutely no rhythm or steady beat to it, just. . . . Anyway, seeing other people doing it made me kind of depressed. Especially when I knew that we probably never would again.

I laid Chloe down on the couch, carefully putting a pillow beneath her head. I looked up just in time to catch a red blanket being thrown at my face. I grunted out a thanks, and then covered her body in the warm fleece. A small gasp escaped her lips when it touched her right hip and I fixed it so the blanket wouldn't bother her. I knew Chloe had been lying about not being hurt, but there was nothing I could do at that time, it'd have to wait until the morning. Turning away from her, I put on a small smile and walked over to where Jason was sitting with Tori and Dad.

"Where's Simon," I asked, coming to a halt in front of Jason. Dad and Tori kept talking to each other, ignoring me completely.

"Uh, he's, um . . . _busy_ right now." His eyes twitched to the kitchen where the back door was. I gave him a questioning look before coming to the realization. He knew. Of course it would make sense that he knew, he was my Beta after all.

"Can I talk to you for a second," I asked, then looking back at Dad and Tori, I added, "Alone."

He nodded, excusing himself from their conversation, following me to the back hall where I was headed.

I stopped half way to the kitchen, stepping backwards into the shadows. Jason mimed my actions. "What's up, man?" he said, putting his hands in his back pockets, looking the definition of chill. If you took a picture of him, framed it, and then changed all of his expressions to the exact _opposite_ of the ones he was wearing, then you'd have your photo of me.

I ran my fingers through my hair, adding to its puff levels. "So she's . . ." I slid my pointer finger across my neck in a slicing motion.

Jason caught on. "Yeah. Cailey got her pretty good. She had claw marks all the way down her body, starting at her mouth. It was bloody scary, man."

I hung my head low. Now that Chloe was with us again this was the worst possible time for Lauren to be . . . killed. By Cailey.

I still couldn't get that out of my head. My baby girl was a murderer. At age eight. Talk about following in my footsteps. I thought that by not telling her that she was a werewolf that she wouldn't hurt anyone, or herself, but, boy, had I been wrong. She'd killed Lauren before I'd told her, while Lauren was "fixing" her arm. Jason relayed the story to me.

Basically what happened was Lauren started telling Cailey bad things. Things about how I would hurt her. The pack would hurt her. A bunch of no good, shit lies. Colton, who had been in the room, keeping a watchful eye on the two of them, interceded when he heard, but to no avail. Lauren smashed down on his head with a rock that she'd secretly hidden in her "medical" bag. He didn't die, but he was knocked out for a while. So with Colton taken care of, she then proceeded to tell Cailey more lies, droning on in that semi-crazy voice she had adapted after years of living alone. And like a normal child, Cailey got scared. Judging by the scares on Lauren's body everybody assumed that Cailey had gotten a hold of a piece of broken glass somehow and scratched her to death. But after further investigation, everybody was noticing half moon marks all up and down the length of Lauren's body. That was how they figured Cailey had hacked into her wolf instincts, her nails automatically sharpening to the strength of a wolf's, and had literally killed Lauren with her bare hands. Yeah, brutal.

"Colton's fine now. Sophie's got him in the kitchen icing his head. Nasty little bruise he's got himself." I nodded in approval. Sophie'd take care of Colton just fine, they were mates after all.

I shifted my feet, leaning against the wall with my arms crossed. I tried not to think of Chloe when doing this, seeing her in the car, her stubborn face turned up to glare at me with her same piercing blue eyes. "Who all is here?" I asked.

"Me, April, Wood, Smart, Simon, Dale, Bree, Colton, and Sophie. Everybody else hit the road a few hours back. Party at someone or others house . . ." I mentally tallied people off. There were eight bedrooms total in the whole house. That would mean everybody except two would get a room, figuring that Jason and April had stopped fighting and made up. The extra two people would have to suffer the couch or a blow-up mattress.

"Good, so Simon's out there dealing with the body . . . who's with him?"

"That would be Wood and Smart, though I doubt Smart's actually helping any." Jason shrugged.

"Alright, well, go on and help them. Make sure they don't burry her to close to the house. I don't want Cailey accidentally coming across her grave." That wasn't the only reason I wanted Lauren buried far away. I didn't know if Chloe still had problems with accidentally reanimating the dead, and if she did, I didn't want her summoning her own aunt's dead body. It would tear her apart.

"Roger that, boss," Jason said, jogging towards the kitchen to leave out the back door.

"Don't call me boss," I shouted after him. He and the rest of the pack knew that it ticked me off, so, naturally, they used it as many times as they could. It was like living with a bunch of teenagers.

Shaking my head, I stalked off to the kitchen to check on Colton. Just because part of my family was back didn't mean that I could let my responsibilities as Alpha slack. Besides, Colton was a part of my family too, ever since I took over the pack.

* * *

Five minutes later I was back in the living room rounding up everyone left. Jason, Wood, Simon, and Smart were all still out in the yard—I could hear them about fifty feet away, walking back towards the house. I'd brought Colton and Sophie with me, having them sit in the love seat so Sophie could help Colton with his injury. Everybody else sat on the floor or leaned against the couch, not able to sit because of Chloe's still sleeping body. I offered to move her upstairs, but Tori wanted her there within her sight. I didn't argue.

Hastily I introduced each person only stopping to let Tori and Dad say short hellos. Next I told them that Jason, Wood, Simon, and Smart would all be joining us in a moment's time, giving them a short explanation. Something about them having to do some kind of work outside. Of course everybody in my pack already knew the whole story, so mostly that was just for Dad and Tori. I paused when I remembered to ask about Cailey. I hadn't seen her all night, too busy with other things at the time, but now that there was a momentary lull in things I was anxious to know where she was. Without saying anything, I scanned the house with my ears, listening for the familiar sounds of her breathing. I was temporarily confused when my ears picked up on a steady thud that rang loudly in my ears, sounding familiar, but not like Cailey's faster chime of heart, but then I realized (with a jolt to the head) it was only Chloe's and then I could pick up on Cailey's heartbeat, second loudest besides Chloe's. I sighed. She was in her room sleeping.

I knew I would have to tell Dad and Tori about Cailey at some point. She'd be up tomorrow at ten eighteen sharp as she always was. (Don't ask me why ten eighteen was the time she chose to wake up, it was as much mystery to me as it is to you.) And I couldn't just be all "Morning, Sweet-heart" to her and then face Dad and Tori with a smile and say "Did I mention I have a daughter?" Not to mention the fact that the second Cailey saw Chloe, she'd be asking why her therapist was sitting at the breakfast table eating pancakes. So I made a quick decision.

"Dad, Tori, I have something kind of important to tell you," I said, watching their faces intently.

They both looked at me: Tori with a scrunched nose as she sized up how serious I was and Dad with a smile. I just hoped that his smile stayed on his face. I mean, I was making him a grandpa, after all.

"So, I kind of have a daughter," I said slowly, my nerves getting the best of me. "Surprise," I joked. To keep from saying more, I bit down on my lip, a habit I'd picked up from Chloe years ago.

"Kind of?" Someone asked. Tori.

"Defiantly."

And then she laughed. Like, really freaking laughed. She slapped her leg and bent over her lap, laughing into a pillow on the floor in front of her. I tried my best to ignore her, curling my fingers into a tight ball, and looked to Dad to gouge his reaction. He wasn't smiling anymore. Suddenly, just looking at him, brought back all those times he'd pulled Simon and me into his office or bedroom (whichever he was using at the time) and gave us the sex talk. Not that I'd had sex. I would've never betrayed Chloe like that. But _he _didn't know that. So I sat in humiliation listening to the younger Simon and I get lectured on "safe sex" and how if we did _do it_ we should "always wear a condom, just in case." My face turned red.

"It's not like that," I blurted out, and Tori cracked up all over again, her face almost as bright as mine.

"Wow . . . Derek," Tori wheezed, trying to calm herself down enough to talk, "I never thought you had it in you!" She bit her lip to keep from laughing again. My face deepened a shade redder. Before either of them could say more I told them the story of Rosalie, Cailey's mother, and how she tracked me down carrying my child within her. When I finished, Tori's face had resumed its original color and dad stood a few feet further from me, pacing. I looked away from him. Finally, I rested my eyes on Chloe and watched her chest rise and fall in a steady rhythm, her face twitching every so often. She'd be next, and telling her about Cailey would be hard. She wouldn't realize it, but it would break me in two when I didn't see the pout of her lips tugging down into a frown. Wanting her to be at least a little mad that my first child wasn't hers (no matter how unreasonable that sounded). I had to look away from her then, feeling that she wasn't mine to look at.

"She'll understand," Tori said. She was focusing on Chloe.

"I know," I told her.

"She'll _remember_," she said, quieter. But I wasn't so sure about that. There was a definite possibility that Chloe would never remember me or our memories completely. Always a piece of the puzzle missing. I wanted to sink into my spot right then and there and dwell on that very fact alone, but just then I heard the back door slamming shut, and the sound of voices drifted through the house. My head bounced up, looking over to April, who had sat up, hearing the sudden commotion, and nodded my head for her to go to them. To catch them up: especially Simon.

While I waited for her return, I walked over to Dad, pushing back my hair with a free hand. "Hey," I said. He stopped his pacing, coming to a stop beside me.

"Derek," he started, "I just want you to know that I'm proud of you. Everything that you've had to go through. It's just"—he cut himself short, re-thinking his words—"I'm really proud of you, Son."

"Thanks," I mumbled, shifting my eyes towards the ground. I could tell that he was smiling.

* * *

Thirty minutes passed where Dad and Simon talked and got caught up, Tori chatted with Wood, who was shamelessly flirting with her—(I was keeping tabs on how close his hand was to hers. Having Tori as a sister was bad enough, I didn't need her taking over my pack life too)—Jason was sitting as close to April as she would allow him to (apparently there fight was _not_ over) and I floated from person to person talking with whomever was around. At about a quarter to four I cleared my throat and announced that it was time for bed. There were only about three hours left until sun came up. Sleeping arrangements were pretty easy to figure out. Simon and Wood both agreed to sleep in the living room—Simon on the couch, Wood on a blow-up mattress—Dad, Smart, Tori and Chloe, and Jason and April took the four available rooms upstairs and Dale and Bree and Colton and Sophie took the two downstairs rooms, leaving me in my own bed. Now, don't get me wrong, I tried to auction off my bed to someone else, trading for a spot on the floor, but neither Simon nor Wood were having it. So we all said our goodnights, I carried Chloe up to her and Tori's room, and the house fell silent. Well, mostly silent. I fell asleep to sound of Jason's voice pleading with April to let him sleep on the bed. She didn't sound like she was going to give in.

* * *

**(Chloe's POV)**

I woke to the sound of singing. Scratchy, faded, blurry singing. It definitely wasn't _someone_ singing either, more like something. Something like a phone. Tori's phone. It was sitting on a desk beside the bed I was lying in, ringing. "Crap," I muttered as I crawled across the bed and grabbed it. I considered not answering it. In fact, I knew I shouldn't have, but I did. Something, I couldn't tell what, but _something_ drew me towards that phone and whispered to me _Answer, answer the phone!_ So, not wanting to get bad mojo from not listening to the voice in my head, I answered it. "Hello?"

"Tori?"

Now, for starters, I knew I shouldn't have picked up the phone in the first place, so lying and telling the person I _was_ Tori would be a colossal lie to stack on my already guilty conscious. But like before, I had a feeling—not something I'd bet my life on, but a little feeling that pinched at my mouth and made me say yes.

"It's me: Scar. I just wanted to make sure we were still on for lattes tomorrow at ten."

I paused. I didn't want to say no and ruin the reason I was talking to her (I was still going off of that gut feeling of having to keep talking to her) . . . But, at the same time, I didn't know what else to do. Fortunately, Scar made the choice for me.

"Omigod, don't tell me you forgot! We were, like, supposed to catch up. I know I've been busy this past year, but I wanted to make it up to you! I even got us tickets to see Friends with Benefits so we could watch Justin Timberlake take off his shirt and gossip!"

I shifted the phone closer to my ear. "No, no, of course I didn't forget . . . Tomorrow at ten?" I faked my best Tori voice, keeping my tone smooth and low.

"Perfect. We'll meet at that Starbucks by the theater, you know the one?"

I tried to keep my words to a minimum, hoping she wouldn't call me out. "Mmmm-hmm."

"Great! See you then. Kisses!"

"Um, yeah, kisses." I threw down the phone. It landed on the bed, enveloped in covers.

The feeling that I'd done something very bad radiated through me. She'd said her name was Scar, but I'd never heard Tori mention a "Scar" as a friend or otherwise. And something was telling me that she wasn't a friend. I didn't know what it was, maybe her obsessive perkiness or her ability to suck me into saying whatever she wanted. But something seemed off about her. Like she was up to no good. _Dangerous _a voice in my head called her, surprising me with its rapid arrival and vicious words. _Very dangerous _the voice said again, this time its words softer, more captivating. Its tone made me believe the voice. And suddenly my head went blank and I could only focus on the words that the voice was telling me. All other thoughts were locked away, shoved in drawers so far back that they would surely be forgotten. The only thing that I could even start to comprehend was that the voice thought Scar was dangerous. And if it said she was dangerous, then I couldn't let Tori walk in on her trap, unsuspected. Right? _Don't tell her about the call. She doesn't have to know. _That seemed right. _The voice_ was right. Tori didn't have to know about Scar. Too dangerous. _Only you can go. No one else. _I nodded to the voice in my head, feeling slightly woozy. "Only me," I mimicked.

Tomorrow, I decided, I'd show up at Starbucks. Ten o'clock sharp. _She'll answer your questions if you go alone. _"Yes," I said. "Alone." _Alone. _She would answer my questions about why the Cabal wanted me so much. Why I was so special. But I had to keep it a secret.

I momentarily shut my eyes, planning how it would work out. First, I'd delete the call from Tori's phone. No evidence made for an easy get away. _Exactly, _the voice whispered. I smiled. Second, I'd make it through the day—wherever I was. Derek's house I assumed. Third, I'd ask Derek or someone for their car. Not sure what my reason would be yet, but I'd think of something. Fourth, I'd go to Starbucks. I'd have to guess who she was based off of the sound of her voice. Didn't sound too hard. Plus the voice in my head would help. It promised it would. Fifth, I'd get answers.

_You're so very smart, Chloe _the voice praised. _No one will ever know what you're up to. Just our little secret. _

"I've never been good with secrets," I warned the voice.

_But now you've got my help _it reassured. A warm feeling spread throughout my body making my hands and feet tingle with pleasure. "True."

_Now move along, Chloe. Act normal and don't tell a soul about . . . our . . . conversation. _

My head was quite for a second and my heart raced, not knowing where the voice went. "Hello?" I whispered. "Hel-lo!" I tapped my skull rapidly.

_Don't fret, Chloe. _My fingers dropped into my lap as if by command. I instantly calmed, my heart rate returning to its normal speed. _I've got to go now . . . We'll talk again soon . . . Tomorrow before . . . Starbucks . . . See you . . . then . . . Kisses. _

Then it was gone. The voice, sexy and sharp, attracting me with its every word. I felt like a basketball without the voice in my head; hard on the outside, empty on the inside. But I did what it told me too and acted normal. Get up, I told myself, and don't do anything suspicious. Be yourself. Think. My memories gradually flew back out at me, hoping from the drawers and settling back into their spots. The memory of the voice was still very much alive inside my brain, but hiding in the back, peeking at me. Ready to pounce when it needed to. That was alright with me. It made me feel safe.

So for the first time since I'd woken up, I looked around. The bed I was sitting on was king size, had royal blue colored sheets, and sat about five feet off of the floor. The walls were cream color. There was one dresser and one closet—the door stood wide open showcasing its large variety of hangers. I guess you could say the room was cozy. Slowly I lifted myself from the bed. The ground was cold. A picture of a man—half wolf half human—standing crouched among trees stared me down. All the little blond hairs on my neck stood up.

_Was_ _that what they looked like?_ I wondered. The picture was in black and white, drawn with what looked like pencil. I knew it wasn't, you know, real. But had it been Derek drawling what he looked like? Drawling what all werewolves looked like? A shiver went down my spine.

_Knock. Knock. _"Room service!" a voice called from the hallway. Quickly I stumbled for the door, turning the handle alarmingly fast and lurching into the hall. Needles to say, I tripped. Luckily, the person outside of the door reacted instantly grabbing my elbows before my whole body hit the ground.

"Whoa, I didn't mean _that_ kind of room service," the man said, helping me to my feet. "But for five bucks I know someone who would."

I brushed at my clothes though no dirt had actually gotten on them. Really I was just trying to keep my head low as a violent blush heated my face. "S-sorry."

"No problem."

I finished "cleaning off" my pants and glanced up at him. He wasn't too much taller than me, unlike Derek who had to be over six feet. He probably averaged five feet seven inches. His hair was blond and gelled into short, messy spikes. And his eyes were brown; almond shaped brown eyes. "You're Simon, right?" I asked.

"Yeah. It's nice to, err, re-meet you?" He stuck out his hand.

I smiled, suddenly feeling self-conscious. It was weird seeing all these people who'd all known me from before. It made me wonder if they preferred the old me or if I was the same. I didn't know whether to worry or just be happy that I was finally meeting these people that Tori and Kit had missed so much. For now, I decided, I'd just shake his hand and smile. So that's what we did, then I followed him down the hall and to (what I assumed to be) the kitchen. There was always a constant flow of words between us. Comfortable and easy, like talking to your best friend or your dog (you know, if your dog could talk back). Mostly we chatted about what I remembered. Like, I said I remembered that he used to play basketball and he'd say that he still did when he had time but he spent most of his days working as an artist selling his anonymous paintings and sketches over the internet. And so on.

He stopped when we came to a door on the first level of the house. He paused, looked at me for a second, then went in, telling me to stay where I was for "just a sec." A moment later another figure emerged, but it wasn't Simon. It was Derek.

"We need to talk," he said. He walked past me as he said it, using his left hand to motion me along. All my calm that I had built up talking with Simon dissolved, replaced by the annoyance and rapidly beating heart that followed seeing Derek. I caught pace with him and sat when he pointed to a couch. Instead of taking a seat too, he paced in front of me making a point of not looking in my direction.

"You said we needed to talk, so talk." I crossed my arms and leaned back in my spot.

"I know." He paced two more times, back forth, back forth, then came to a rest to the right of me. "I have a daughter."

"And . . ." A dull aching hit the back of my chest and crept its way up my neck. _Bang_. It hit again.

"And you know her," he said slowly as if he wasn't all too sure of his words.

"That seems possible," I said, "but I doubt I remember her." I sighed inwardly. Another person, another day. It was as if I had forgotten the world. Or at least my world, the one I once lived in.

"You know her," he said again. "And you remember her. I think. At least, not unless you have an incredibly bad memory."

"Are you making fun of me?"

"Of course not, why would think . . . ? Oh, never mind. I know you remember her."

It was odd how Derek could know that I remembered her when not even I knew. He must have had super powers-But wait . . . ! He did. But not that kind so I hardly thought it was right of him to tell me what I knew.

"Her name is Cailey."

My eyebrows crunched together. Had he just claimed to be Cailey Sauller's father? Why, yes. I think he had. A strange world I lived in wasn't it? Like a never ending surprise party. Surprise! Except without the music, or the friends, or the champagne.

"Is she here?" I asked.

"The kitchen."

I smiled at him just as another _Bang_ hit my chest, that one unusually hard. "So that's why Simon wouldn't let me in."

He grunted.

"Does she know?"

His green eyes locked with mine. My heart went thud-bump, thud-bump. "That you are here or that we used to be . . . Friends?" You know that second in between the second when your immediate reaction plays out and your brain thinks about what you're doing? Well, in that second between the second, Derek winced. He. Winced. Right after saying the word "friends". That obviously told me that we weren't as great of friends as my memory seemed to think. _Enemies_ was probably what we were. Though he hadn't been necessarily mean to me in my time re-knowing him. Maybe he felt guilty. Maybe that was why he didn't restart our feuds. However, he sure as heck wasn't solving them. You could tell by the way he'd give short, curt answers that he was holding something back. Something that he really wanted to say. I bet the only reason he was seeing me now—alone—was because it was his daughter and I had been the one talking to her, so he felt responsible to tell me about her by himself. Well, he could be that way then. It wasn't like I had to be nice to him either. Just for today, then tomorrow after I used his car I'd tell him that he didn't have to pretend anymore. But until then . . . "Does Cailey know I'm here," I answered.

"Yes."

I forced a smile unto my lips. "That makes things easier. Is that all you needed?"

He froze. He eyed me suspiciously. "For now."

I fought the urge to curtsy at him and roll my eyes. I fought it all the way back to the kitchen where I greeted everyone good morning and sat down with a plate of pancakes.

* * *

"Did you always know I was a werewolf?" Cailey asked.

We were sitting outside on a blanket near the front of the house. Bright green grass laid beneath us as we watched three guys play what they claimed to be "extreme football." My response had been, "Isn't it always extreme?" They'd laughed at me. Beside me, Cailey picked at the strings on her shorts.

"No. I had no idea."

"Me neither."

Simon had explained to me how and why Cailey was born. She was the epitome of an unwanted child. Well, not anymore, but before she was born I doubted Derek had wanted anything to do with her. But as they said, a man becomes a father the first time he holds his child. That seemed to be true for Derek.

Simon also told me that Cailey was a werewolf. The first natural born female werewolf. I felt less stupid when he told me that. Since my job had been to tell supernaturals that didn't know they were supernaturlas that they _were_ supernatruals, I felt like I should have known. But since she was the _first_, I felt a lot better about my Supernatural Radar.

"Miss Soulia, I forget. How long are you staying with Daddy and me?"

"Remember Cailey. My name's not really "Miss Soulia". It's Chloe. Call me Chloe."

She tapped my leg twice. "O-Kay."

It was late evening, five o'clock at least. So far neither Derek nor I had told anyone much about anything that'd happened yesterday. Instead we all just kind of played the part of one big happy family. The Brady Bunch, you could call us. Derek told me he was waiting for the rest of the pack (of werewolves. Funny, right?) to get here until we shared our story. Right now we were telling the simple version to anyone who asked.

As for how long we'd be staying here, I had no idea. Maybe two more days, maybe a month. I guess it all just depended on tomorrow. For me, at least.

"Chloe . . . ?"

"As long as you want me here," I told her, brushing back a brown strand of her hair. She yanked my hand away.

"Forever, alright? You'll stay forever."

I laid down on the blanket, enjoying the sun in my face. I closed my eyes and whispered softly to her. "If you say so."

* * *

**(Scarlet's POV)**

"Are you sure it will work," Jennifer asked me, her voice raised to such a high tempo, she sounded like one of the Chipmunks. She bit her lip anxiously, a habit that made her look young and afraid. Two things I'd never be described as. Sexy and Devilish was more my style. Take now for example: I was wearing a short black dress with a plunging back. It showed off all my curves in a way you couldn't help but stare at. My shoes were red, instantly making themselves pop with my dress, but the tiny hints of black lace framing the shoe helped make them blend. And my hair was midnight black. So black that it seemed a sleek, shiny blue when looked at in soft light. Then there was Jenifer. Frizzy, red-haired, jean and flats wearing, Jenifer. There wasn't much hope for her. She'd never be like me, no matter how much she wanted to.

"You doubt my abilities?"

She kept her gaze from my perfectly tanned face.

"Good. As long as I have her enchanted she will do whatever I suggest. Everything will go as planned." We sat in silence on a gray-marbled counter in the office break room. I stroked my finger up and down the length of my leg alluringly.

I looked at my watch. It was time for me to leave. My lunch break was over and Mr. Tucker could see I was busy doing nothing. His desk had a straight shot view into the room. If I kept it up for much longer he'd get angry. And to tell the truth, there wasn't much worse than an angry, fat man yelling cigarette tainted curses at you. Actually, no, I took that back. One thing was worse. The thing that I would do later that night in Mr. Tucker's bed—that would be worse.

I sighed. All things had consequences though, and if I was going to destroy Mr. Tucker, I had to keep him as close as possible to me. And if that meant rolling around with him on a dirty bed, naked and sweaty, then so be it.

"See you later, Jennifer." I scraped my finger nail along her bare arm as I left, walking the short distance to Mr. Tuckers desk. I didn't look back but I could feel her eyes on me. Wishing her hips would sway the way mine did. Wishing that her hair bounced slightly in its hypnotic motions the way that mine did. I could feel her jealousy, and I fed off of it.

* * *

**_A/N: _Hey! So did you like? I hope no one's confused, or . . . too confused. I finally had Derek's POV, which i know a lot of you have been wanting, so please people review! I know there's way more people who read this story than who are reviewing. C'mon, send me anything. How to improve, what you liked, what you didnt like, a random fact. Whatever! Please? Bye, guys!**


	21. Chapter 21

**_A/N:_Hey, guys! So it's been a while, I know! Homework is to blame. I've been trying to get a normal schedule down. But now I'm back . . . for a little while. I am going to be participating in NaNoWriMo this year so I don't know how much time I'm going to have to actually write another chapter of this but I promise you all that I will never abandon this story! Even if I lose all my reviewers and readers I will still keep on writing. (I'm persistent like that.) ANYWAYS! On to the shout outs!**

**Thanks to **_LyssaL97__, __Obssessedcrazedbookworm, __monkeysandfudge, __SeddieBangel, Warriors4eva, __GoldStar333, and __Whitney__A _**for the freaking ah-ma-zing reviews! They bring me back to life like a slap to the face! **

**Chelerk****— ****First, ****thanks ****for ****the ****review! ****Next, ****you ****said:**** "**_**Derek **__**had **__**sex **__**with **__**another **__**girl **__**and **__**has **__**a **__**daughter **__**while **__**he **__**was **__**in **__**love **__**with **__**Chloe? **__**but **__**Chloe **__**doesn't **__**remember **__**Derek...**__**" **_**Derek ****NEVER ****had ****sex ****with ****another ****girl. ****That ****would ****be ****completely ****out ****of ****character ****for ****him ****to ****do. ****What ****happened ****is ****that ****while ****Derek ****was ****locked ****up ****at ****one ****of ****the ****Cabal****'****s ****HQ****'****s ****they ****took ****some ****of ****his ****sperm. ****They ****then ****found ****Rosalie ****who ****wanted ****a ****child ****and ****was ****whiling ****to ****work ****with ****them ****to ****be ****impregnated ****with ****Derek****'****s ****sperm. ****Derek ****never ****knew ****that ****Rosalie ****was ****going ****to ****get ****impregnated ****until ****she ****showed ****up ****at ****his ****house ****. ****. ****. Y****adayadayada. ****You ****can ****read ****everything ****that ****happens ****in ****chapter ****14 ****(some where ****around ****the ****bottom ****of ****the ****page). ****As ****for ****Chloe. ****She ****doesn****'****t ****remember ****most ****things ****in ****her ****life ****before ****the ****cabal ****captured ****them. ****Some ****of ****her ****memories ****are ****coming ****back ****but ****she****'****s ****not ****sure ****if ****they ****all ****are ****going ****to. ****She ****remembers ****the ****least ****about ****Derek ****and ****so ****she ****doesn****'****t ****remember ****how ****they ****actually ****used ****to ****like ****each ****other. ****All ****she ****has ****to ****go ****by ****are ****her ****flashbacks ****of ****the ****time ****she ****and ****Derek ****were ****fighting ****in ****the ****Cabal****'****s ****HQ. ****Hope ****that ****helps ****things ****become ****less ****confusing!**

SweetDreamzz3116**— ****First ****off, ****thanks ****for ****the ****review! ****Next, ****you ****asked:**** "**_**how again is **_**_Cailey __Derek's __daughter? __I m__ean, __their __relation?__Blood__related?__" _I think most of you question can be answered by reading _Chlerek__'__s _shout out just above this. But they are blood related. She is 100% his daughter. His and Rosalie's (Ch. 14). I hope that help's! **

Bookninja15**— ****Thanks ****for ****reviewing! ****Now, ****you ****said:**_**"Scarlett**__**is**__**the**__**friend**__**who**__**ditcher**__**her...to**__**whatever**__**it**__**was...right?**__**" **_**Ummmm. ****Scarlet ****is ****a ****character ****that ****was ****introduced ****a ****while ****ago ****in ****chapter ****13. ****You ****might ****want ****to ****go ****and ****read ****that ****bit ****. ****. ****. ****Or ****you ****don****'****t ****have ****to. ****She ****was ****never ****Chloe****'****s ****friend ****. ****. ****. ****but ****she ****might ****be ****Tori****'****s ****. ****. ****. ****that****'****s ****up ****to ****you ****to ****guess ****about ****until ****I ****tell ****you. ****Which ****will ****be NEXT chapter,****so ****. ****. ****.**

moon-called-princess**— ****Thanks ****for ****the ****review! ****Now, ****you ****said:** "_**So **__**did **__**the **__**cabal **__**artificially **__**impregnate **__**Cailey's **__**mom **__**with **__**Derek's **__**sperm?**__**" **_**The ****answer ****would ****be ****YES! ****No ****sex ****was ****involved. ****Derek ****would ****never ****do ****that ****to ****Chloe. ****Oh ****and ****happy M****ay ****18****th ****birthday! ****I ****picked ****that ****birthday ****for ****Cailey ****because ****my ****favorite ****number ****is ****18 ****and ****I ****just ****like ****the ****month ****of ****May.**

s0phi**— ****Thanks ****for ****the ****review! ****So, ****you ****asked: **_**does Chloe fully remember Simon **__**and **__**most **__**things **__**about **__**her **__**past **__**or **__**not **__**yet? **_**Chloe remembers a few things about her past. Not all of it. She remembers a few things about Simon but still not a lot. **

Kiri**—Thanks for the review! You asked: _how __many __chapters __are __you __looking __at __to __complete __the __story?_ And to that I say as many as the story needs. (Which pretty much means that I have no freaking idea.)**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Darkest Powers Trilogy. **

* * *

**(Chloe's POV) **

Derek's pack showed up around seven that night. Three words to sum them up were tall, blessedly-muscled, and seriously-hot. Each and every one had a six pack and the kind of height that out-of-work anorexic models prayed for. Basically, it was Tori's heaven on Earth. Literally. She was surrounded by at least two different picture esque, God-like men every five minutes, each one bearing desperately adorable smiles and dopey-eyed gazes. When she went to pee, three guys trailed after her, stationing outside the bathroom door with the kind of stances you would see on celebrity body guards. And when her stomach growled, it was as if every guy within a ten foot radius suddenly became a master chief ready to cook up a ten course meal. Complete and utter ludicrous. And me? Well, I might as well have been a ghost for all the attention I was getting. A few empty hellos and a couple dozen blank-eyed excuse me's were the best I got. No lingering stares. No flirty laughs. Nothing. I was starting to feel like Ugly Betty while Tori lived it large as Cinderella or some other beautiful Disney princess.

"How are you holding up?" April asked, shoving through groups of guys swarming the living room area, none of which, might I add, were paying any attention to me.

"Not bad. Just watching Tori get eaten alive by her parade of zombie Gods. You notice how they each get the same glassy eyed stare when entering the scared five feet? Apparently she's the new Virgin Mary—or Megan Fox—one of those two, I can't decided which." I drummed my fingers along my thigh.

"Definitely Megan Fox. You know how us wolves like a chase." She winked and sat down next to me on the couch. In her hand, she held a plastic cup filled with ice and what looked to be water, but I wasn't completely sure. "It's just been a while since any single women have showed up around her. All the other ladies are strictly taken. And they know not to cross that line." She shrugged as if Tori and her Followers weren't the spectacle that they seemed to me.

"I guess you're right," I said although it still didn't make much sense to me. I was single, and absolutely no guy here was after me. Wouldn't they have better chances if half of them flirted with me and half with Tori? Not that I would flirt back. Ice is to Alaska as dating is to me, a dying concept.

"Of course I'm right, honey." She patted my leg then lifted her drink to her lips and swallowed, taking down small sips each time. Over the last three hours April and I had become strangely close. She felt like the big, beat-down-that-bully kind of sister I'd always wanted. The kind Tori had never been able to be. Not that Tori wasn't like a sister to me, but she was more of a beat-my-ass-until-I-got-the-picture kind of sister.

"Anyway," April started, setting her cup to the side, "I didn't walk all the way over here just so you could look at my pretty face. You have a message."

My ears perked up. Could one of Tori's Followers have noticed me? It must have been hard to look past her long brown hair and curvaceous body, but I couldn't complain. I was glad someone had noticed me at all.

April leaned down towards me, her lips inches away from my ear. "He says to meet him in the kitchen. He has something _important_ to tell you." She waggled her brows and relaxed into the couch. "Oh, by the way, 'he' is Derek."

I deflated like a balloon losing its helium. I was a leaf floating back to Earth. I felt like I had been punched.

"Derek?" I asked hoping I had misheard her.

"That is correct." She nodded. "Derek."

"Derek." I sighed.

"Have fun, Chloe. He won't bite . . . too hard."

All the way to the kitchen I could hear her tinkling laugh, like music trilling in my ears. "Great," I muttered. The kitchen it was more or less full when I got there. I scooted around people, smiling politely when I bumped into them. Everybody had their own concerns and I wasn't one of them. Fading into the background was something I could do easily, something about my blonde hair and short stature.

I stood beside a large platter of food nervously tapping my foot and using my eyes to search the room for a six foot, brown-haired, short tempered werewolf. My teeth grinded together as I placed a slice of cheese in my mouth, letting the bland flavor overtake my senses. A bad taste had formed in my mouth just thinking about Derek.

_Tap tap_ went my foot.

"Hey!" I called out, catching a glimpse of Derek's dusty black-jacket. He was standing by the fridge chatting lightly with an unfamiliar face. I wasn't sure if he didn't hear me or was purposely trying to get on my last nerve. Probably the last one. He had super hearing; therefore, I would be terribly surprised if he couldn't hear the steady beating of my heart. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Steady beating.

"Hey!" I called again, striding forward with a bright purple grape between two of my fingers, pulsing along with my heart.

His head turned slowly, his mouth shaping words and sounds all the while. His eyes meet mine. Then just as quickly he turned back to the man.

"Can't believe I missed that," he said, speaking to the other guy. The man responded wittingly and they both laughed. "Alright, well, I've got some business to take care of. Later, Jack."

Jack walked off, and Derek turned back to me. "Let's go."

I stared back at him dumb-founded. "Excuse me?" I said, feigning shock. "You're talking to me now?"

"Yes, I am talking to you. Now let's go." Then he grabbed my hand and pulled me outside. I struggled in his grip, trying to peel my hand away, but A) he was strong and B) I was already a klutz without concentrating on other things besides walking, so C) it didn't work.

"Just hold on a minute," he growled.

He let go of my arm as we approached the first set of trees near the forest. I noticed that it would be the perfect place for him to secretly murder me without anyone knowing. I slowed a few paces, not entering the trees as he'd intended us to. "I'm not going in there," I told him, peering at the forest skeptically.

He stopped. He looked back at the dark trees swaying lightly in the wind. "Fine," he said.

I crossed my arms. Since I hadn't been expecting an evening walk, I hadn't put a jacket on, and the almost winter air cooled me down instantly. Derek saw me shiver and started to take of his jacket. "No thanks," I said. I didn't need any favors from him. He didn't need to keep being nice to me. I knew he didn't really like me; it was all just one big act. Fool the girl who can't remember anything.

"It's cold," he insisted. "Here."

He held out the jacket.

A thought appeared in my head. It picked me up and walked me over to my memories of this morning pointing at the slideshow of pictures forming in my brain. I watched as the voice in my head spoke to me, and we formed our plan. Then I remembered that I was supposed to be acting nice to Derek. I—we!—needed his car tomorrow. My whole planned relied on getting it so I could drive to Starbucks, and the voice could point out the girl I needed to talk to. I'd have to be nice, just for tonight. I walked over and took the jacket, shrugging it on. It was surprisingly comfortable . . . It felt oddly right.

"I figured it'd be best if we got our stories straight before we told everyone else."

"Makes sense." I nodded, swishing my hair to cover a portion of my face where the wind was hitting abnormally hard. "Where do you want to start?"

"The beginning."

"You mean . . ." I swallowed. "Like from the Cabal head quarters?"

He nodded, his eyes shifting back in forth from the sky to my face. "Tell me about the first thing you remember on. Don't leave out anything. I need every detail, every fact."

"If you say so, Derek . . ." So I told him. I told him _everything_.

I started with the day I woke up in the Cabal headquarters, alone and scared. I told about how I could remember my past better that day, but later everything had begun to fade. I told him about moving to a little city right outside of Syracuse and finishing high school—starting with senior year—and college. I didn't leave out the few boyfriends I had along the way. They never meant anything to me, and we never did more than kiss, but I liked the stricken look he got on his face when I told him. Like he was so disgusted that a boy might actually like me. I told him about the job I got and also Tori and Kit's jobs and about Jen who had been both Tori and my best friend for quite some time. Then I came to the day when I met Mason, the ghost.

"You really didn't know?" Derek had stayed quite the whole way through my story up until now, so I allowed the question.

"I hadn't seen a ghost in seven years, Derek. What was I supposed to think? He looked normal enough." I shrugged as to say "it happens".

"Huh," he said. "You know, you did that exact same thing when we were teenagers. While we were on the run. These awful kids started making fun of you and I had to escort you away before you got too upset. First time I'd ever seen you almost cry."

I looked at him curiously. He had a twinkle in his eye that told me he was zoned out, thinking of the things I couldn't remember. It was odd though, I thought, that he helped me. But even the biggest of enemies could put aside their differences when one was in trouble. It didn't mean anything.

"Yeah. Well." I kicked at the grass and started in on my story again. I didn't even look to see if he was paying attention. When I finished, he started his story. It was a lot like mine, but instead of him and Simon living together, Derek took over the pack and Simon went off to live closer to the city where he could find more work. Aunt Lauren, he said, staid in a guest house behind the garden.

Like a lightning bolt striking wood, a fire started in my body. Aunt Lauren! I was appalled at myself for forgetting about her in the first place. I mean, she was _actual family. _Flesh and blood—the same blood that coursed through my veins and allowed my heart to beat faster than a fleeing hummingbird.

Derek seemed oblivious to the fleet of facts barreling through my head. Probably due to the fact that he hadn't actually looked at me since he started the conversation. Such an eye sore I was. With a pointed finger he motioned towards a narrow path that lead back into the low growing gardens.

". . . where she lived," he finished. I studied him shortly then glanced at the path then, once again, glanced back to him. Gripping my shoes into the soft, green ground I stepped forward, my mind already knocking down Aunt Lauren's door and grabbing hold of her until the sun rose above the forest and glared down onto the two of us. Finally I would be reunited with real family. Someone who loved me and cared for me more than anything else. My foot hit the ground ready for another step. But something stopped me, something hard but that held my sides gently, cautiously as if afraid that pressing against my skin would make it fall to pieces. "Chloe . . ."

"Derek, move," I told him, shoving his hands off of my sides.

"Chloe," he said again, grabbing a hold of my shoulders this time, adding more force behind his grip.

"Don't 'Chloe' me." I shook loose his fingers. Taking another step forward I came to a stop once again. "Derek," I shouted, throwing my hair behind my shoulders and shoving him in the chest. He stood in front of me, a scowl plastered to his face, arms crossed neatly against his chest. "Get out of my way. I need to see my aunt."

He didn't budge.

My eyes darted between him and the lonely, undisturbed path. "Please!" I begged him, wind hitting my face, turning my lips cold and numb. I hadn't made but three steps forward. "Maybe seeing her will—I don't know, shake some of my memories loose," I said, trying to put some reason to my hysterics.

"I don't think—"

"Please!"

His whole face darkened, and the only light I could find coming from his face was his eyes. His eyes that shone like flashlights in the dark.

"Derek," I pleaded, staring into his glowing green eyes, luminescent with sorrow. "Please, please, please let me see her! This is my last chance. My last chance to remember! You don't know what it feels like to not know who you were or what you've done. You don't understand; I have to see her!" I was now pulling on his arm. My left hand twisted into his and my right snaking its way up his forearm. I pulled him close to me. "Please," I half-whispered, half-sobbed.

A small tear leaked out of my eye. A deep desperation was hitting me hard, harder than any emotion I had ever felt. I truly believed that if I saw Aunt Lauren, just talked to her one last time, I would somehow be magically healed. All my memories would be restored, and I would never have to go around feeling like the freak who couldn't remember anymore.

My hands became sweaty even though the wind was hitting us harder, tears flowed faster, and my breathing became hard, ragged. My one and only last chance, and he wasn't letting me go. He wasn't even looking at me. He had his face held high to the sky. His arm had fallen limp as I held on to it—as my fingers intertwined with his, and I used my other hand to pull on him harder. "Derek, please. Please." I didn't lift my voice above a whisper. I knew he could hear me. I knew.

"Chloe," he said. I pulled him closer to me, tugging at him so hard that he was forced to step closer to me. "Please," I whispered. My heart was beating wildly and my mind was going numb. The same cold desperation held on to me, it clung to me, held by a magnetic charge that zapt my heart each time my fingers moved another inch up Derek's arm.

"Chloe," he whispered.

I pulled on him again, making him look at me. I saw wet tears, as thick and wet as mine, fly down his face. He looked at me with such sadness, such worthlessness I couldn't stand it. I pushed away from him and ran to her house as fast as I could. My feet stomped on the grass in loud thuds. I made it past the gardens without hearing anything from Derek. No pleads for me to stop, no shouts as he ran after me. Just silence and the sound of my own breathing, hard and loud. But it was after the gardens that I stopped. Not because I fell. Not because I realized that the house was completely dark without any lights on. And defiantly not because I realized that the door was locked and barred shut with huge pieces of wood—like I said, I stopped before I came to the house. I stopped because I realized that Derek had been crying too. It wasn't just me but him too. I stopped with clenched fists and tears streaking down my face.

I peered down the path I'd taken, and sure enough, there was Derek, walking to me, his face the exact picture of mine. He waited until he was next to me to say the words. The words that I somehow knew he was going to say. Not that it made anything better when he actually did say, "She's dead." The pain was all the same.

* * *

Losing a family member is the worst kind of pain. Something about them having some of the same looks as you and the same family makes everything worse. Actually having history with the family member is the prize taker though. And even if I couldn't exactly remember her during certain years of my past, I could remember Aunt Lauren from when I was little. Ever since Mom died she had been there for me. But who would be there for me now that she'd died?

Derek didn't say anything after Those Two Words. I guess he sensed that I needed time. He also didn't try to touch me which was good. I wouldn't have been able to handle it. Too many emotions at once. I'd have exploded. But then came the time approximately forty-five minutes later that I didn't cry as much anymore, and I sat down. Only then did Derek start in on his story again, because, really, what else was he to do? And I listened.

He didn't tell me how Aunt Lauren died, and I was thankful for that. I didn't think I would ever want to know. Less was better.

So Derek went on. He told me that ever sense we had separated—more like sense Astuliap separated us but whatever—he and Liz had been talking secretly. She would keep him updated about things going on with the Cabal, and he would ask about us. She never would tell him, though. Not how we were or where we were. But she was defiantly talking to them. It was frustrating that she hadn't told me that.

Derek told me about how he had smelt me on Cailey after her second therapy session. Because of Simon hugging her the first time he came to pick her up my smell became masked. Simon's scent over-ruled mine.

He told me why he showed up that night with Jen. He had been going on a date with her—that fact made stones rattle in my chest for no particular reason—but not really. He'd smelt me on her one day when he was at the store and confronted her, asking her onto a date. Purely for information, he told me—the rattling in my chest slowed. He didn't want to get too close to me, because he knew that would break the spell Astuliap had made to protect us, but he wanted to find out where we lived, who we were friends with. Like a friendly stalker. His plan made a turn for the worst though, and he fell into the trap just as hard as I did.

And that was how we got here. The grass didn't look much greener on this side. It actually looked kind of brown . . . with weeds in it. Metaphorically speaking of course.

At some point we both simultaneously decided to get up. Neither of us spoke. We both shuffled inside, and we both told the rest of the group our stories. Kit and Tori were both reasonably upset when I told them about Aunt Lauren, but nothing compared to how wrecked I felt. Everyone agreed that we would have to do something. Move maybe. But no one handed out ideas. Personally, I was too depressed to think about it.

I needed time to myself. Without telling anyone, I got up and left. I walked upstairs and lay down in a random room. I cried a little. I looked at the ceiling a lot. Mostly I just sat.

An amount of time later (who knows how long, I sure wasn't counting) a knock came at the door. I didn't say anything. They would come in if they wanted to, so I just sat and waited. They came in.

"Shit happens," a voice says. Not the voice. Just a voice. A voice that wasn't just in my head. I didn't bother looking up; I knew who it was. April.

"Shit happens and you deal with it." April sat down on the bed lying next to me. "People die. I know. And though I'd like to feel bad for you, Chloe, I can't."

That irritated me. I didn't want anyone to feel bad for me, but she didn't have to tell me she didn't.

"You can become as depressed as you like about this. But life will move on, and no one will stop to make sure you're in the car."

I thought about all the people who wouldn't forget about me: Tori, Kit, and Simon. The list wasn't long, but they wouldn't leave me. Would they?

"You have to be in control of yourself. And when you're depressed you can't do that. If you keep thinking about Lauren's death, you'll lose who you are and all of your friends—your family." She paused. "Chloe, you still have family. Derek. Tori. Simon and Kit. Me and Jason. Were all your family. And we don't want to leave you behind but we will."

A single, wet tear dropped from my eye. I couldn't listen to her. My last hope for a life—a real life—was dead, buried under the ground who knows where. Doing anything else without remembering my past would be a waste of time.

"I know it may be a little early for this talk, but I want you to be thoroughly warned. If you let this depression take you under, we can't wait for you to resurface. We have to be planning and working everyday from now on. If you're not going to help when it comes time . . . you need to know that we will leave without you."

I didn't say anything. What could I possibly say to that? Announcing that no one cared for me enough to bring me along if they run? How is that supposed to help?

"Chloe, I don't want you to fall under depressions spell. I want you with us when we decide what we're going to do, where we're going to go. Just know: You've been officially warned."

* * *

I fell asleep in that bed. Whoever was supposed to sleep there must have slept somewhere else. When I woke up it was two fifty-one a.m. The house was silent.

The door was creaked open, letting light from the hall spill over into the room in little glimpses. I got up from the bed and walked over to the door. Listening to the soft creaks my bare feet made as I walked, down the stairs I went, away from the kitchen and to the couch. Simon was on the floor lying down, asleep. His eyes were closed, whispers of air blowing from his nose as he breathed. Blankets were thrown all around him but not actually upon him. A fan blew cold air around to room, chug, chug, chugging one way then starting back the other. For a while I sat, not really knowing what to do. Not knowing what I wanted to do. I watched Simon while I sat. I wondered mostly if his sleeping posture was one of a dead person—more specifically, Aunt Lauren. Did they die with closed eyes, or simply leave them open, finding it to be too much effort to do anything but. I hoped for the latter. Just the thought of Aunt Lauren having to sleep eternally with her eyes seeing everything, never getting a break. Or if she was buried, the brown dirt packing into her eye sockets, filtering out any signs of sunlight, only leaving her to see the black of the dirt. Roughly, I shook my head.

Aunt Lauren was dead, not jammed inside of her body. She was free to roam—wherever she went without the weight of her body. Her body was not her, just the empty carcass left behind. If its eyes were filled with dirt then so be it, Aunt Lauren would never know.

And the facts laid out in front of me should take away my pain. They should make the pain of missing Aunt Lauren drift away into the far horizon where lions are just about to lay down for their mid-afternoon naps and birds are humming wistfully to the wind. Yet the throbbing—the pound pound pounding in my head wouldn't give away to those rolling glades of distant thoughts and peaceful days. And even worse, I feared they never would. Death was one of those things you had to learn to live with. A constant shadow draping over your heart that would only disappear for true sunlight. Pain. Suffering. Life. Nothing could take them away. There was no pill that could be prescribed. Death would only bring more death. So my only choice was to live and search endlessly for that sunlight. The magical sunlight that would bring me back to life.

Silently, I got up and walked to the kitchen. It was the dead of night, and finding sunlight then was about as likely as finding a flower inside of hells gate. I took a seat at the table holding a glass of water filled to the brim. I considered drinking the water. I tasted it with my tongue, lapping at the clear bubbles that formed near the edges of the cup. It tasted stale.

I swirled my middle finger in the stale water, feeling the cold against the heat of my

flesh, feeling the motion of the swirling water meld into the cracks in my skin. I cocked

my head to the side and thought about stale water. The movie Signs came to mind,

reminding me of the little girl who would never drink all of her water, because she

claimed it tasted funny. The little girl ended up saving

everybody's lives by being a little picky. Goes to show how life works. I shoved the

glass away and nodded my head.

"It's not contaminated, I swear."

"Ah!" I jumped in my seat, banging my knees against the table. "Ow!" I shouted quietly, rubbing my fingers along my bruised legs. I swung around in my seat ready to fight whoever dared sneak upon me. Although, really, what were the chances I would win in a fight against anyone. I hadn't actually practiced any of my skills in nearly seven years. I was practically a little, defenseless, rabbit just waiting to be eaten by the big bad wolf . . . Who, ironically, was standing right in front of me.

"Don't sneak up on me like that!" I shouted, swatting my hand towards him, missing by a wide range.

Derek nodded, taking a seat beside me.

"What are you doing up?" I asked accusingly, furrowing my eyebrows.

He stared back at me, his eyes blank mirrors. "I could ask you the same thing."

I raised my eyebrows. "Really." I caught the faint rise and fall of his head. A nod. I sighed softly. "Just thinking, that's all."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

He tapped my water glass three times. _Tap. Tap. Tap_. "What's with the water?"

"Nothing," I said, turning my head so he couldn't see the slow rise of heat across my cheeks.

He pulled the glass towards him and drank the water, every last bit of it. "See, perfectly fine." He placed the cup back onto the table, the glass bottom making a slight ring as it touched the wood. "Now tell me. What's really on your mind?"

My head wobbled on my hand. Could I talk to him about Aunt Lauren? I wanted to. I desperately wanted to talk to anyone about it. But in order to move on I would have to forget about her. Her and her rotting, dead body. I shook my head and slid my eyes away from Derek.

Truthfully, I should be getting to bed. Tomorrow was a big day. I could possibly get my memories back! It was a long shot, but even if I didn't the voice promised answers. I _would_ get answers. So bed was where I should be, lying down, asleep, my mind blank as it stitched up holes and gaps in my memories, preparing for the big reveal tomorrow. Derek was an unwanted distraction. All he had ever brought was pain and a little bit of suffering. Besides, hadn't I decided not to trust him? The pieces to the great puzzle in my head had showed us fighting. That didn't spell friendship to me. Getting what I wanted—No. what I needed!—and then getting out, was my plan. Nothing else mattered.

Well, besides sleep. Sleep mattered too. The thing I should have been doing right then. My head resting lifelessly on a sweet scented pillow, drool slipping past my gently parted lips, visions of the day to come floating through my conscious like clouds on a breezy summer day. Bed. Sleep. _Sleep_.

I pushed back my chair.

"Uh, sleep deprivation," I said. "I need sleep." It wasn't a lie. Not at all. Avoiding his questions and making a quick escape were only perks to that quick-minded excuse.

"Uh, yeah—" Derek nodded.

Quietly I got up and pushed in my chair. Derek stood as well. I gave him a small smile and tried to slide past him to the door. He shifted to the right clearing a path for me, but unfortunately for me, I thought he was moving the other way and I slid to the right with him. My arms glazed his chest. My legs bumped into his. My fingers pressed tightly against his muscles. My breath caught as I sucked in. We melded together like two pieces from the same puzzle. I couldn't breathe. All the air in the world had been sucked dry, and I was left with none. I felt like I would die as a round of butterflies flew around in my stomach, twisting in and out of my veins and though my blood vessels. Derek stepped closer, pressing his chest slightly harder against mine, making my head become dizzy and my heart to thump thump thump. His breath trickled down onto my lips, warming my body. I opened my mouth and sucked in his air, taking it in as my own. I had no idea what I was doing. But something about it felt just so inexplicably right. His hand gently rested upon my arm, lifting me closer and closer to him. My legs stumbled underneath my body. Then his arms were there, holding me up, encompassing my every limb. Our lips were inches away and all I had to do was lift my face a little closer . . .

I snapped away. What was I doing? What in the God-forsaken world was I doing! I couldn't kiss him! He—he was Derek! Bad. Untrustworthy. Suspicious. My lips would not be tainted with the poisons that coated his lips. Sleep deprivation. That's all. I have sleep deprivation.

"Uh, I-I-I got to g-go," I stuttered, pushing myself out of his arms and flying out the kitchen door. In a flurry of motions I made my way to the room where I had slept the night before. Tori was sound asleep, lying in her bed with a sly smile on her face, blankets curled around her, pillow tucked slightly under her chin. I flew to my bed opposite of hers and buried myself under the covers. My heart was still thrumming from the butterflies swimming in my stomach, but my brain was at a standstill. I could practically feel the jaws of a million viewers dropping as they witness my sheer stupidity. If only my life was a movie.

"_Go to sleep!_" I told myself. Tomorrow everything would make sense again. I'd take Derek's car and meet with Scar. That voice—the one that entranced me, made me understand—promised to show me the way, to point out who Scar was. Then I would find answers. I don't know how this girl would know the answers to my questions, but if the voice said she would know, then what choice did I have than to believe it? Tomorrow would be a new day. I could just forget that stupid stupid moment and move on with my life.

* * *

"Thanks. It was delicious!"

Simon smiled his charming, boyish smile and leaned down to whisper into my ear. "Just between you and me . . . I didn't really make these waffles."

"Oh?"

He shook his head and leaned down again. "The only thing I can make is cereal and turkey sandwiches. The real chief is Derek. He has a way with food."

A lump formed in my throat where the waffles, toast, and bacon had slid down. "Really?" I squeaked.

"Yeah. Who would have thought, right? Derek had me deliver them to you. He said you had a rough time last night, and you deserved a break. But don't get too used to it. Breakfast in bed is only temporary." He waged a finger at me. "I'll let you get dressed."

Simon left. I didn't move. I could hear his voice floating in and out of my brain as he greeted people in the hallways. My legs folded underneath my body and my hands rested softly in my lap. The talk of Derek had made my heart stutter, but it was back to its normal pace now. Slowly, I got up. I stretched my arms over my head and bent sideways letting my sides creak as I folded myself in half. My nose crinkled. Something smelled bad. Like earth and mud and sweat all smothered into one. With a start, I realized that what I smelled was me. "Oh, gross," I muttered.

All that fighting in the yard last night had taken its toll. Mud had somehow found its way into the cracks of my nails. And behind my ears. And under my eyes. I was a walking mess. What I needed was a nice, warm shower. Hot water beating down on my back in steady beats. Steam rising above my head, filling the air with a misty scent. Perfect.

"Hey," I said, walking into the kitchen where April and Jason were sitting. Their hands entwined like ribbons. A guilty pang shot through my heart.

April looked up and smiled. "What's up, Chloe?"

I glanced around the room shyly and lowered my voice. "I, uh, need to take a shower," I whispered. "And I don't exactly have any clothes . . ."

"Oh!" She stole her hand from Jason. "Of course." She stood, taking me by the arm, leading me from the room. "I don't think you'll fit into any of my clothes," she said looking me up and down, "but I think I might know of someone about your size."

"Great. So . . ."

She laughed and patted my shoulder. "I'll go now. Why don't you get in the shower? I'll set the clothes in the bathroom when I find them."

I sighed. "Okay. Thanks. I'm just going to go then." I took a few steps away from her then turned back. "Uh . . . whe—"

"You can use Derek's bathroom. Go up the stairs and follow the hall straight back. His room is the very last one. Just walk in. I'm sure you can find it from there." She winked at me then stalked off to find clothes that would hopefully fit me.

I made my way to Derek's room slowly. To be perfectly honest, I didn't even want to think about him right now. After last night and all that had happened with him I was ready to forget and get out. The second he turned into a distant memory I would be grateful. My only problem was that taking a shower in his bathroom wasn't going to allow me to forget him. Remember, yes. Forget, no. Remember, yes. Forget, no. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

I grabbed onto the cold, silver door handle and turned. It glided open like a wave settling onto the beach, smooth and soundlessly. Inside the room was neatly organized, painted a bright white that shone with light coming from an opened window. Sauntering in, I ran a finger against the wall feeling the small bumps that rose along the wooding. My eyes searched the room. A dark navy and white stripped comforter was made into the bed as perfect and straight as you would see in a magazine. Large white pillows lined the top of the bed invitingly. I couldn't help myself. Everything about the bed shouted "Come sleep on me!" and I was a sucker for a good mattress and bed set. In a moment of sheer playfulness, I sprung forward and nuzzled up into the cracks of the blankets. Without thinking about it, I pressed my nose into the pillows and breathed in heavily. A sweet, musky smell played in my nostrils making my head tingle. Turning onto my back, I stretched out my body, twisting sideways, lifting my leg to drape over the other, and spreading my arms out across the bed like I was making a snow angel. I felt my shirt creeping up against my stomach, but I didn't fix it. The cool air drifting though the window felt good against my bare skin. I closed my eyes and felt myself falling into a deep pit of bliss. A smile was blistered onto my face.

"Having fun?" a voice asked.

Without thinking I answered. "You have no idea," I laughed. "I haven't felt this relaxed since I started college." My thoughts took me back to a time when all I had to worry about was whether I had saved up enough money to buy the good pizza that week or whether I was going to be stuck making Ramen Noodles again. My smile widened considerably. "You have no idea how much I wish I could go back to those days. Sure the professors sucked, but I would give anything for a nice day of doing nothing but watching the latest Oprah and frantically trying to finish the essay I had due next class."

A rumbling, deep laughed escalated though the room. I froze. Waite. Don't tell me—no, it wasn't—I peaked open my eyes and searched the room. There, standing in only a towel, was Derek. His dark hair was wet, sticking to his face in large strands. His chest was naked, open for the entire world to see. And, oh boy, did I see. His chest tanned slightly and muscled to perfection. His body curved with tight lines. His arms crossed sturdily against his chest. I was gawking. Probably making him uncomfortable. The cursed butterflies in my stomach were back and flying faster than they ever had before. I realized all this and more. Peeling my eyes from his chest I made my way up to his face—past his collarbone, and neck, and chin—straight into his eyes. A sort of hunger lay there. And I realized he too was not looking at me but at the stretch of skin that had become exposed as I'd rolled around on his bed.

Without hesitation I sat up and cleared my throat. "Uh, w-well I should probably go," I muttered, getting up and jogging towards the door. I tugged down on my shirt with both of my hands.

"No, wait!" he shouted.

I turned back, silently cursing him. "Yes?"

He scratched the back of his head with his hand, stretching out his torso and making my mouth become unbelievably dry. "Did you need something?"

My face turned a deep shade of red. "No, no. Not at all. I'm gonna go now . . ." I tried to make an escape once more, but he started in again.

"There's a reason you were in here, Chloe. Just tell me."

I chewed my bottom lip debating whether I should tell him or make a run for it. In the end my need for a shower won over instinct. "April said I could use the shower in here. I just got a little distracted as you saw . . ." I lifted my hand weakly to the side to motioning to the bed. "Uh, but I can go now if you'd like."

He walked past me to his dresser, opening the top drawer and shrugging on the first shirt he touched. He held the towel covering his, uh, lower region tightly using one hand, with the other he pushed open the bathroom door and walked in. I stood outside, not knowing what to do.

"Come here," he said from the bathroom. I listened.

"Here's a towel," he said, throwing a long piece of rough fabric at me. "Wash clothes are under the sink and shampoo, conditioner, and soap are all inside the tub. Push in on the metal handle to turn it to a shower, keep it out if you want a bath. The rest is pretty simple." He held out his hands motioning to the space around him. "Just shout if you need anything. I'm sure someone will hear you." Then he gave me a brisk smile and walked out, closing the door lightly behind him.

"Thanks," I whispered mostly to myself.

As I stripped I could hear faint sounds of feet walking around in the bedroom. I zoned them out. Turning on the shower and the heat, I let the rush of hot water race over my back and trickle down my face. It felt good to be clean.

* * *

Halfway through shampooing my hair April walked in with fresh clothes. "I got them from one of the guys girlfriends. She said they were too small for her anyway so you can keep them." I heard the whoosh of the door closing and returned to shampooing.

* * *

Dark wash blue jeans and a white shirt. The pants were a little loose, but otherwise fine. The shirt went off the shoulder slightly and had what looked to be black tree limbs fanning out across the length of the torso as well as the arms. The fabric felt nice against my skin, fresh. I pressed my hand down on my stomach, straightening my shirt. My hair was brushed through, and I had coated my eyelashes with a small amount of mascara. I looked in the mirror. Not bad. Really not bad. The black contrasted with the white making my face light up with a natural glow. I had to admit, April had done well. I would have to find whose clothes these were and thank her for having such good fashion sense. They did wonders for me.

I opened the bathroom door and flew out feeling like I was on cloud nine. Not even the sight of Derek lounging on his bed brought me down. For the first time in a long while I looked and felt good.

"Hello, Derek," I sing-songed. He glanced up at me quickly and grunted. Looking at a paper in his hands he furrowed his eyebrows, then shook his head and glanced up again, this time he really looked at me. I could see the light spilling in from the window shinning off his eyes they were so big. I smiled sweetly at him. I decided to play the nice card. I was going to be asking for his car in a moment, so being kind was the least I could do.

"What are you looking at?" I asked leaning forward. I could see a wisp of pencil drawn hair flying outwards on the paper.

Derek folded the picture quickly and placed it in his pocket. He shrugged. "Nothing important."

"Oh. Okay."

We both stood awkwardly.

"So," he drawled, "I never did ask how you were after the whole Lauren incident."

My body stiffened just thinking about Aunt Lauren. A ripple of sadness threatened to tear through me. "I'm fine. April gave me some words of wisdom that helped make up my mind." I chewed my lip and watched the bright blue sky out the window. "I can't dwell on her death forever, can I?" I laughed half-heartedly. Inside, I was dying.

Derek studied my face. My cheeks flushed a bright red. He grunted.

Feeling awkward again, I shifted my feet and said, "So, I have a question."

He looked up but said nothing.

I took that as a "go for it" sign. "Everything that's happened these past few days—it's been a lot to take in. I need a break from the craziness. And it's been so nice of you to let us stay here but—"

Derek interrupted me. "Chloe, you guys are family. We wouldn't have you staying anywhere else."

I smiled softly. "I know. It just I think I need some time to myself. Alone."

Derek watched me with those bright green eyes of his. I felt like a lonely insect underneath a big old microscope. I was being tested. I was being watched. Every little move I made would be seen. It made me antsy.

Fidget. Tap. Pop. Fidget. Silence encased us.

Then: S-I-L-E-N-C-E. Then: "I was wondering if _maybe_ I could _possibly_ use your car." Then: SILENCE.

Then: He looked at me like I was crazy.

"Just for a bit. I'll have it back in two hours tops! I swear."

He opened his mouth.

"And before you say anything, I want you to know I'll be safe. I'll abide all traffic laws. No speeding. No tickets. I won't even stop the car to get gas."

"Chloe, I don't know . . ." He sat up on his bed. We both heard the wrinkling of paper in his pocket; he cringed. He took the paper from his pocket while keeping it still completely hidden from my view. He walked over to his dresser drawer and placed it beneath all of his clothes. Then he turned back to me. "Right now it's too dangerous for you to go gallivanting off in my car. Besides, there's work to be done."

I wanted to scream at him. To _make_ him understand. This wasn't about me just playing child and running off to be alone. I had a reason—a real, very important reason! I was going to get answers to all of this craziness. And then when I came back, everything would make sense. I would be the hero and save the day. For once I would do something semi important. Of course, I couldn't tell him that. He would just have to believe that I would be safe and come back alive; Although, It was doubtful that he cared if I came back alive—his car on the other hand . . .

"I promise I will be safe. I need this, Derek. I _need_ it. Hasn't there ever been something in your life that you needed so bad you were willing to do anything to get it?"

He closed his hands into fists, balling them up against his sides. The irises of his eyes shrunk smaller and smaller. Between the hard grind of his locked teeth he said, "Yes."

I stumbled over to him, my feet making weird slapping noises against the floor. I grabbed hold of his arm, spreading my fingers across his elbow, gripping him so hard my fingers ached. A mess of wires fumbled in my brain to attach themselves correctly. Red with red, blue with blue, yellow with yellow, green with . . . "So you understand, Derek. You understand how much I need this. You got what you needed, and now I have to get what I need too."

He shook his head. He clenched and unclenched his fists. "No. That's impossible."

"No, Derek. It's not impossible." I squeezed his elbow, yanking my body closer to his. "It's not impossible at all."

. . .

"Derek."

. . .

"Derek!"

. . .

"Derek, how are you not getting this! Why are you so incredibly selfish all the time! You got what you needed and now it's my turn. _My turn!_"

"Shut up! Just shut the hell up!" He jerked away from me, stomping over to the window on the far side wall. His voice vibrated my body inside and out like a bass loud and unsure at an over-rated high school party. "Don't you get it, Chloe? I_ never_ got what I needed. And I never will!" He turned away, speaking to the wall. "Just get out of here! Go get yourself killed," he sneered. His upper lip curled up in disgust like the beast's from the tale as old as time. "Just know," he said, "that the second you walk out of that door is the same second that you stop being safe. From there on out I can make no promises. You might die out there." He slammed his fist down onto the dresser top rattling two photos of Cailey smiling at the camera. "You might fucking die out there. But go on right ahead." He slammed his fist down once more. One picture of Cailey crashed to the floor shattering to pieces. He didn't even notice.

I knew I should accept this and go. He had given me permission. But a dumb little feeling, the kind that pester you, poke you, bug the crap out of you—kept telling me to go to him. To do something. At least not to end on this note. I looked at the clock on Derek's nightstand. The numbers 9:21 flashed at me in red script. I had to get going soon, yet . . . I had to do this one thing first. Then I could go and forget all about Derek.

"Derek," I said delicately. It felt as if he was a small, frightened child and I was the idiot teenager being paid to watch the stupid kid while his parents were out. I slunk forward.

"Leave," he growled, spreading his fingers out across the wall like a vine climbing up an old, stoned building.

"No, Derek. I—"

"Leave!" he roared, the muscles in his back forming bridge like ridges. I jumped back, stumbling over my feet. My thumping heart sped. Swiftly, I grabbed my dirty clothes from the bathroom and high-tailed it out of there. That was the last time I would ever try to help Derek. He was nothing but a mean, grumpy man who had no heart. (And so what if I was being a little harsh. He treated me like dirt on the bottom of his shoe. Stomping me out and spitting on me while I was down.)

Grabbing the keys from the hook downstairs, I got into his car and speed off not even bothering to look back.

* * *

**_A/N_: So that's it, guys! I hope you liked this chapter. I made it long to hopefully makeup for my long long LONG break I had and for the fact that it will be at least another month before I update because of National Novel Writing Month. And on that note I would like to give a big huge hug to all the writers out there attempting NaNoWriMo. This is my first year so . . . Good luck to me and everybody else!**

**Please Review! :D**


	22. Chapter 22

**_A/N:_ Oh wow, guys. How's it going? Its been a while. I know some of you are probably not too happy at me right ****now. I'm sorry for taking so long to update this. Truthfully i just got bored with this and i didn't know what to write. Then when i tried writing again i completely forgot what was even going on so i had to re read some things. But all that really matters is that i actually finished this chapter! Yippeeee! So, i'm going to do a quick shout out to all of the people that reviewed last time but i'm not going to answer the questions because a lot of you that asked the question back then probably don't care anymore and/or aren't even going to read this. So here you go: **

**Thank you _Whitney A, Raksha Souza, suzi1811, LyssaL97, SweetDreamzz3116, moon-called-princess ;D, obssessedcrazedbookworm, Bookninja15, yaneis, BeachBallofLove, Nerd95, XNatsumiX, and Miya3281 _for all your lovely reviews. They are truly what keeps me from giving up! I love you guys!**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Darkest Powers series.**

* * *

"Leave!" he roared, the muscles in his back forming bridge like ridges. I jumped back, stumbling over my feet. My thumping heart sped. I grabbed my dirty clothes from the bathroom and high-tailed it out of there. That was the last time I would ever try to help Derek. He was nothing but a mean, grumpy man who had no heart. (And so what if I was being a little harsh. He treated me like dirt on the bottom of his shoe. Stomping me out and spitting on me while I was down.)

Grabbing the keys from the hook downstairs, I got into his car and speed off not even bothering to look back.

* * *

I gave in to the smooth, gliding feel of the car's leather seats, following the flow of traffic. I let all thoughts flow from my mind. I became numb, only feeling the road and my compulsion to get away. Nobody could stop me now. I would be able to do what I had to do and be on my merry way.

Meet a girl named Scar in a coffee shop.

Get answers from her.

Hope I didn't get killed or captured in the process.

Nothing big.

Thinking nice, positive thoughts was kind of hard to do considering the situation I was about to put myself in. There was always the what ifs.

What if the voice in my head was wrong?

What if Scar knew nothing?

What if I should have just stayed at home?

But what I had to remember was that the what ifs might not always be bad.

What I got answers?

What if I got my memories back?

What if I was finally able to feel complete?

I wasn't content with the slow and painful process that my memories arrived through. The hurt that they came with was too much to handle. I needed some source of finality. Either I was going to get all my memories back at once or get rid of the ones I that had already come. And what scared me the most was that I still 90 percent sure that they wouldn't all return. Truth be told, I had a feeling that I would always be stuck in the deep pit of the unknowing, where everything that was lost came to live and never be found. My only tiny tendril of light, a metaphorical rope if you will, was this unknown character. A girl by the name of Scar whom may be able to hoist me up higher and higher to understanding. The sexy sweet voice in my head would lead me to her. And then I would go on living Happily Ever After. The end.

I shook my head and gripped the black leathered wheel as I looked back to shift to the far right lane. For me there would never be a happy ending. Maybe an "Eh That Was So-So" Ever After but _happy_? My happy days came some time before this mess, back in the memories that floated just out of reach and forced me to live in my own pool of self-induced sludge. My life was an extra large coffee with double shots of gloomy.

And on top of it all, I had a pissed of werewolf wishing me dead. Now, things with Derek were never good. Ask me to name one time when we actually got along and I could come up with . . . zero times. Tops. Even in the short spike of a memory I had been oh-so-nicely blessed with we had been fighting. So obviously it wasn't just me picking fights with him out of nowhere. We had a history of it—one that I may not have been able to remember most of, but a history all the same. But don't be fooled—I tried to keep things nice. I tried, but it was hard, and he was being . . . _him._ And I was just too tired to play games. So I forfeited. Sue me. I gave in and ran away. And, yeah, there were some times before that when I was slightly unkind to him (okay, maybe I was borderline cruel), but I had my reasons. And after all was said and done I had accomplished what I set out to right? Be nice, cover the fact that we despise each other, and snatch his pretty little car for a day of adventures. It had ended in less than nice terms but the results don't lie. Glancing around now could tell me that I had won. Just look at where I was: riding high in his precious car, escaping a future of guessing and not knowing. I was steering the wheel of my own life.

I veered off to the left sharply. My thoughts had left off in la-la-land and I had almost missed my turn. Following along behind a line of cars, I broke off the interstate and pulled into a little town. It wasn't the first city I had come upon. Travel time here had been about forty minutes. The city was small, nothing like the one Tori, Kit, and I had lived in before. A few roads split outward from the city, showing signs of neighborhoods and other such places. Following the road straight lead me further into the town. It consisted of nothing much more than a few shops—antiques mostly, a few pottery barns shuffled in, and of course your local bakery/coffee fix—but what I was interested in was the commercial part of town. The place not too much farther down where the road suddenly became silky smooth and built with newly spilt asphalt instead of the old, pot ridden, grey kind. The trees looked sunnier even as their leaves crumbled and fell to freshly mowed lawns, and every sign that I passed held a freshly painted look to it. Entering this new part of the city was like finding myself on another side of a mirror. Everything was the same but something in the way I saw it, the way my eyes found the light in every window, and my ears found even the tiniest of chirps from the passing birds, made this different. Suddenly, all my fears and worries evaporated, seeping into the cool leather seat and turning into warm strokes that vibrated like a chemical buzz through my body. I felt high in a way that I never had before—not that I knew much about being high. Or anything really. But this feeling. If this was how druggies felt when they shot up or an alcoholic drank another bottle of fine wine, then I could almost excuse them. I think it was the way my fingers tingled ever so slightly, slowly heating. Then my feet would start to feel antsy, like they knew a dance that just had to be done. And the feeling that entered your head—it was dizzying. Electrifying. So utterly impossible that only one thing could be inducing it: magic. Whether the magic was real as in wands and murmured spells or chemically compacted, it was magic all the same.

_Hello, Chloe. _

It was the voice. Her words spoken like paper rustling in the wind. Low, fluent vowels carrying through the air. Every sound made was a second savored. Every lift in the voice was another pill to my high. I was addicted to every second of it and I wanted more.

_Chloe . . . _

Yes, yes, I'm here.

_Undoubtedly. You remember why you're here, Chloe. Correct?_

Of course I do. I could never forget.

_As I see. You've done so very well, Chloe. But are you ready for the next part? I can't have you breaking on me. You need to be on your very best look out. You never know where danger lurks. _

I understand. I won't get caught. There's too much at stake. But you'll help me keep an eye out, right?

_Yes, of course I will, darling. Don't worry; mother will keep all the bad guys away. Now, focus. Remember the task at hand. Never lose focus of what you have to do. It's when you do that they snatch you up and lock you in their dungeon. A pretty princess never to be found with only her pretend ghost friends to keep her company._

_Haha, yes, well let's keep that from happening, why don't we? Just focus. focus. Focus. FOCUS. FOCUS! . . . _

A blaring noise. A long, incessant stream of sound that bubbled in my ear like a stain of icy, hot lava. It stung.

"Gah!" I jerked my head up. The stinging stopped. The noise vanished as if it was nothing but a vaguely annoying bug the whole time. My fingers shook, still feeling the breath-taking high. Bringing my fingers to my chest, I rested them against my heart and listened to the constant, if not slightly erratic, thumping. Even my heart understood the magical feeling the voice brought and the slightly strange high that wiggled its way into my body.

I released a pocket full of air I had been holding, and I un-clenched my jaw, unlocking my teeth from my bottom lip and allowing a trickle of blood to drip from the corner of my lip. Grabbing at an unused napkin I found squeezed into the compartment between the two front seats, I dabbed away the blood, and with it, any nerves. I allowed myself to settle and find a place where I could keep my cool. I pictured my room with its unconventional messiness and strawberry scented candles. I saw my bed with the covers thrown halfway on the floor and the pillows pushed in between the wall and the bed frame. Junk was over flowing from my closet, and a picture of me and Tori sitting on the couch eating Chinese had fallen over onto the floor. Nothing was how it should be. Nothing had a place. It was my get away from a life where I needed everything to be organized. It was my safe haven when things got tough, and I just needed a rest from trying to be perfect. It was the place I wanted and needed and couldn't have all at the same time.

And I slammed its door shut. While it calmed me it, also brought forth a distraction. A distraction that I didn't need. My mind was sharp. My toes were pointed, and my ears were alert. I was ready. Or least I was going to have to do my damn best to pretend I was. The voice was counting on me to do my part and I would not let it down. Not if it was the last thing I did.

* * *

It took a few shakes of my head and a couple knocks to the brain, but I finally realized that I was parked. As in I had unconsciously finished driving to Starbucks and parked the car. Now, while I was sure there were some incredibly talented people out there who could do this, I was pretty sure I was not one of them. My talents zeroed in at taking to the dead, and even that specialty was waning. My only speck of an idea as to how I had parked the car was that the high I had felt had induced some sort of inter-mind connection and allowed me to sub-consciously finish driving to Starbucks and park. Crazy sounding much? Whatever, I was done trying to understand things that made no sense. From then on I was going to go with the flow. I was a free bird riding the wind waves.

I pulled down the mirror above me. Quickly glancing over my face—two eyes, one nose, lips, ears—I reassured myself that I was fine. Everything was going to be fine. Then before I could talk myself out of it, I shoved the door open and heaved myself out.

The cold fall air automatically chilled me off, and my arms became freckled with goose bumps. In my rush to get away from Derek and all that he entailed, I had forgotten a jacket. Sure, long sleeves were swell, but when they were the only thing lasting between you and the rushing mid-day wind they appeared less enticing.

I made my way into the store, hugging my arms against my chest. A line of men and women all dressed in warm coats or jackets stood similarly. The inside of the Starbucks looked like any other. There was the counter, marble of course. The freshly polished machinery. And the cozy sitting area where four large, grey arms chairs sat leaving the one lonely love seat to ponder in its abandoned state. Small wooden tables were spread evenly throughout the small space with black chairs resting peacefully around them. A couple of men dressed covertly in plain black dress shoes and blue pinstriped shirts shared a larger table, each connected to a laptop and tapping away on an opened document page. The walls were colored in the forgettable brown shade that was supposed to create a soothing effect, and smells of coffee and small pastry treats wafted about the room, filling in the empty spaces where no people remained.

I rubbed my arms while non-conspicuously glancing around. There were only two or three girls here. One, a brown haired, pinch-eyed girl with lips stained too brightly red and wearing an awful baby barf yellow coat, lined up her drink against the back counter where she continued to pour a couple dozen packets of sweetener in what looked to be an already sweet tea. I had a hunch that she wasn't the sort of person Tori would ever hang out with, let alone try to keep in contact with.

I checked her off my list.

I moved into the line behind an old man grumbling about service and the price having to be paid to get a good coffee nowadays. I settled into a stance that I called: I-can-beat-you-up-while-looking-totally-relaxed, with my hip thrust outward and my right knee bent. My arms were kept locked together across my poor excuse of a chest.

The next girl I saw was a blond. Average height. Probably around a nine on the hot chart. She had those plump lips that guys liked so much, not to mention her curves which practically took over her body. She was like a volcano overflowing with curves and an overall sex appeal. Defiantly Tori approved. Only problem was she was wearing a black apron and an exasperated smile that showed that she was trying to be pleasant but so help you if you even _think_ to ask for extra sugar for your coffee. Well, that and her name tag told me she was _Emilee _not Scar.

I sighed. The only other girl in the room was a brunette cuddling up close with her boyfriend, and I wasn't about to go up to her and ask for her name. So much for this being easy.

I reached the counter asking for a large hot chocolate with extra wiped cream and a shot of espresso. Coffee wasn't my ideal drink—ever—but I would need it to keep myself energized. It would be a miracle if I made it another hour without completely wilting into a pile of exhausted fumes.

"One Hot Chocolate with a shot of expersso," the lady working the counter said. "Have a nice day," she shouted as she turned back to fill another order.

I step forward and pick up my drink shifting through a number of options on what I could do next when BAM! I've got hot chocolate-coffee mess spilling all over the counter and my hands.

"Oh, Shoot," I muttered, jumping backward out of the puddle of spilt hot chocolate grabbing for a pile of napkins from the closest dispenser. My fingers soaked the white sheets into foggy brown rags not helping anything when I uselessly tried to sop up the mess made.

"I am so sorry," I muttered to the lady as she rushes back to the counter, eyes wide, mouth made circular.

"Just go," She said, shooing my hands away from the mess of paper towels and chocolaty drink. I agreed and slowly back away wiping my hands off on my jeans. A loud tiff came from behind me as a slim brunette with racy red heels and an outfit to match sauntered by making no attempt to hide her sarcasm as she rolled her big brown eyes and said, "_Excuse me_." Curvy pink lips tilted upward in a smirk and she threw her brown leather purse over her shoulder demanding her way through the line and to a side table resting against the window. She lifted her non-fat-zero calorie drink to her mouth and sips from the small plastic hole making a show of licking her lips ever so slowly before she set the drink back upon the table, glancing away to the tussling winds and stilled cars outside her window.

"Stupid idiot—" I muttered beneath my breath before cutting off sharply with a shake of the head.

No. It couldn't be. Not her, anyone but her. Yet . . . she was just bitchy enough, stylish enough, and loud enough to be a possible candidate. Possibly maybe someone Tori would hang out with. And as my eyes took another sweep around the room I couldn't find anyone else who could even begin to fit the picture of Scar. I could just imagine the way the girl's mouth must have curved—bending down in a sweet sultry sense as she spoke to who she thought to be Tori over the phone. I could hear the way her voice would ring with the high pitched squeal that could only be described as a pigs mating call as it matched the one of Scar's over the phone. Even from the two words she had spoken to me before, "_excuse me,_" had been tainted with the rich feel of confidence that only someone as sure as Tori could handle hearing. It had to be her. Scar.

* * *

_Don't doubt yourself, _the voice said, returning to my head once again. _Nothing will ever get done if you start to doubt your instincts._

The voice may have been right—as always—but it wasn't exactly doubt that kept me locked butt-in-chair two tables down from a brown haired beauty staring at her back while she sipped coffee and tapped her heels against the plastic leg of her chair. It was nerves. Well, nerves and the feeling that I was going to puke all over her nice, clean clothes. _Not_ _that she wouldn't be able to afford dry-cleaning_ . . . And a personal maid to _hang_ the dry-cleaning once it was done. From the looks of it, she was loaded. Just another link to add onto the castle of Why Tori Would Want to be Friends with Her.

"Humph." I should just go. Leave, and drag my sorry butt back to the house, and live in an eternal stupor. Screw the past, right? It's the future that counts. Memories shememories, I didn't need them. I'd make new, better memories. Besides why am I so intent on remembering every bad thing that happened to me in my past? From the things I'd gathered none of it looked too good—more like something on a crappy supernatural television show. And what happens in crappy supernatural television shows? People die. They die then the remaining cast cries and forgets it ever happened to go on slaying the next super evil vampire villain. I would rather not go back to a life of television entertainment like stunts. If I turned around now and walked out those doors I could live a semi-normal life. Sure, living with werewolves and ghosts and wizards wasn't the picture of easy but I could make it work. No more crazy schemes just semi-normalness.

But I wasn't that stupid. I knew my life would never be "semi-normal" or anything close to it. The only way to reach my supernatural nirvana was to get answers and maybe solve the puzzle that was my life.

_Cut the motivational shit, and get your skinny ass out there. She's not going to stay forever. _

And then there was that. All it took was two words from the voice and I was back on track. I _needed_ answers—and I sure as hell was going to get them.

I stood and started to walk over to her. Scar. My brain was doing flips, and questions were flying through my head a million miles a minute. Left foot lift. Fight foot step. Right foot lift. Left foot step. All the way to the table by the window. I stood there awkwardly blocking the sun from the window.

"Can I help you with something?" Her eyebrows were raised, shooting straight up to a point then subtly curving back down. Her lips stood pursed, bright pink. My fingers twitched against my legs nervously. I was staring. Crap. Crap. Crap. Stop staring! I opened my mouth to say something, but my lips—they were just so incredibly dry. And did I mention how hot it had gotten in here?

My head began to feel dizzy like it weighed far too much to be sitting atop my neck. How could something so small and fragile support something as big as my head? Not that my head was big but—off topic. Gears shifted in my brain grudgingly slow trying to return to the task at hand: Speaking.

"Are you okay? You look like you're about to faint!"

I shook my head in hopes to dismiss her words. If I could just _say something_. But my brain worked in funny ways. Sometimes I would find myself unable to stop talking, having to literally force myself to shut up, and then there were times like these when my jaw would lock, saliva would refuse to enter my parched mouth, and my brain couldn't be bothered to knock some sense in to either one.

And then I fell. Okay, not fell, more like largely stumbled. Falling would entail some part of my body hitting the floor. I caught myself before that happened—kind of. I caught myself after Scar jumped up to wrap both arms around my torso and force me into standing position. So, basically, I didn't fall.

"Oh, God," Scar muttered, clinching her fingers around my upper arm. "What do I do?"

She paused, her eyes wide in panic. Her fingers tightened harder and harder along my arm.

"Uhh," I tried. "Umm." My voice faded off, whistling away with the hustle and bustle of the busy coffee shop. My words would form correctly, as if a damp fog had laid siege to my tongue and forced it to stay put, nestled snuggly against the roof of my mouth.

"Shit," Scar cursed, digging her nails into my skin abruptly. "You need air. Fresh air. Okay? Alright, let's just . . . go outside." She nodded her head nervously as if she was reluctantly making a rash decision, and then quickly shuffled me out the door. She left our drinks at the table only taking the time to make a fast grab at her purse.

Outdoors my head felt clearer and my mental storm cleared long enough to allow me to understand what was going on. It was like this:

Walk, walk, walk, stumble.

"Shit."

Walk, walk, walk, stumble.

"Watch your step."

Walk. Walk. Walk. No stumble.

"You okay?"

Silence.

Then a rapid downward motion. Swaying. Swaying. And a sharp, bruising pain.

"Duck your head."

My head was shoved down and my body was propelled forward. I landed and on a cushion made with scratchy material and a hard metal spine. My eyes were closing. Closing.

Closed.

_Don't worry, Chloe. It's all going to be okay. _

And with those last words, I was gone.

* * *

I woke to complete silence and an absolute darkness. The kind of dark that clings to you making your breath come short and your fingers to tremble. All I could feel was metal, cold, slick metal. I touched my face, my legs, my stomach making sure it was all there. I wiggled all my fingers counting each one. I kicked out my legs but quickly brought them back in tucked safely to my chest. Everything worked. I was still alive. I wave of relief swept through me and I let out a small whif of breath. Then I worked my mouth. I moved my lips up and down I clicked my tongue, whispered words, little nonsense murmurs.

Where was I? I thought as I tried whispering a little louder.

"Hello?" I said.

Was anyone in the darkness with me? "Hello," I said again, this time raising my voice, trying to catch the attention of anyone around.

"Is anyone here?" My voice would caught and trembled, shooting up and down like a heart monitor rising and falling as sounds faded throughout the room. I waited. No one answered.

I tried again, repeating those two things: "Hello?" "Is anyone here?"

Still no answers.

I bit my lip and closed my eyes, realizing keeping them open would do me no good. "Hello . . .?" I asked one last time.

The only voice that answered me was my own, bouncing back against the walls to mimic sounds of panic in my ears. No one was here; no one was going to help me. I was truly alone.

I wrapped my arms around my legs, resting my head on the tops of my knees. What was going to happen to me? Would I sit here forever locked in this same position? A mummy trapped in a metal casket buried beneath the confines of the earth.

But how did I get in here anyway? My head felt dizzy and my stomach turned with thick knots. Where had I felt this before? I racked my brain. Where was the last place I remembered being?

The coffee shop. Yes! I was with Scar. I had finally found her and then I had felt so sick. My mouth dry, stomach queasy. I vaguely remembered walking outside. A car . . . Then nothing.

So what did that mean? I had somehow been captured and taken away? Was Scar with me then?

Oh no. What if the cable found me and took Scar as a hostage. I had been trying to fix things not make a bigger mess! I didn't want to bring an innocent into this. How would I ever repay her? There's no way I could. There are some things that would leave a mark on you and nothing would ever be able to change that. And now along with my life, I've screwed up someone else's.

I scrunched up my face and hit my head against me knees. Okay, think. What could I do to make this better? Where did I even start?

Then I knew. I had to find a way out. If I was trapped in one of these metal boxes Scar probably was too. I would have to find her and get her out. It was the least I could do.

But the darkness. It went on forever, and just the thought of trying to maneuver my way through the thick darkness made me nauseous. I was never going to make it out. I would be trapped in this everlasting world of nothing. Soon I would die and then my body would disintegrate, blending into the cold metal until I was nothing more than a memory.

I would become my first memory. When I was trapped on that very first day. I found a door. But then there had been light to guide me. There was no light this time. I had no way of finding an exit. And I was too much of a coward to search.

And that made me think: how many others are there just like me? How many empty shells of people were there here, in this room possibly? Bodies trapped and destined for death. Made to be only memories that will fade, mixing with the air and sour taste of metal. How many of them were in here? Was I not alone? Maybe there was hundreds of dead inside of this room with me. I would never know. I didn't want to. It was easier to tell myself I was alone and no one would ever find me. Losing hope is infinitely easier than keeping it.

How easy would it be to close my eyes . . . and never open them, to stop thinking and keep it that way? If I never moved again and became a living corpse, how easy would that be?

What if I made myself one more promise? Would that be enough to keep me alive? Even if I stopped trying but held on to that promise would I be able to keep my heart beating? Maybe if I made it big enough—important enough.

One promise to change everything.

* * *

_**A/N:**_ **So how was it? Just as good as it used to be? Need some work? Why don't you tell me about it in a review? **

**Okay now about when i'll be updating. I probably wont have a new chapter up any time soon. I'm talking months. I'm on the school newspaper which takes up a lot of time and soaks up a lot of my writing ability. I will write the next chapter as soon as possible. But don't be afraid to yell at me if it takes too long. I need that motivation! **

**Bye, guys! -Winkadink**


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